Star Hurricane wide out Malachi Toney was awarded national player of the week by the Associated Press for the second time this season, following a stellar outing against Pitt last Saturday.
Toney was virtually unstoppable against the Panthers, as he shredded them from both the slot and out wide, consistently beating both man and zone coverage with ease. The Fort Lauderdale native tallied 16 grabs for 194 yards and three scores in just over three quarters of work.
He broke his own program record on the day for catches in a single game (13), and now finds himself just 26 receptions shy of Xavier Restrepo’s overall program reception record. He also sits only six touchdowns shy of NFL Hall of Famer Michael Irvin’s career program record.
Following his incredible performance, the second-year wide out jumped in the Heisman rankings. Currently, Toney leads the country in receptions with 66 and is third for touchdowns (11)and yards (952).
The last receiver to win the award was Devonta Smith in 2020 from Alabama.
Through seven games, Smith recorded 65 catches, 903 yards, and 10 touchdowns. Toney’s stats are eerily similar: 65 catches, 941 yards, and 10 touchdowns.
All of this production and Toney is only halfway through his sophomore season.
There is no denying that Malachi Toney is one of the premier players in all of college football. If he keeps this up, he not only has a chance to be a national award winner, but also a Miami football legend.