CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Top-ranked Miami will head to Notre Dame this weekend without its most productive receiver. Malachi Toney hurt his ankle during practice Wednesday and is expected to have surgery for a high ankle sprain.
There is hope inside the program that the injury will not end his season. No exact timeline has been set, but the expected recovery window of four to six weeks would leave open a return for the College Football Playoff, whose first-round games are scheduled for Dec. 18-19 with quarterfinals on Dec. 30 and New Year’s Day.
The sophomore has 73 catches for 1,027 yards and 13 touchdowns, ranking second nationally in receptions and averaging close to 130 receiving yards per game. He has been the focal point of the Hurricanes’ passing game, with roughly 35 percent of the team’s catches, nearly 39 percent of its receiving yards and about 46 percent of its touchdown receptions. Cooper Barkate ranks second on the team, well behind at 372 yards on 28 grabs with four scores.
Toney had been considered one of the leading Heisman Trophy contenders, along with his quarterback, Darian Mensah.
Miami is one of only three unbeaten teams left in major college football. Saturday night it visits 11th-ranked Notre Dame in a game with heavy playoff stakes for both sides. Toney broke out against the Irish a year ago, catching six passes for 82 yards and a touchdown in Miami’s 27-24 season-opening win.
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