Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Malachi Toney has put together one of the most exciting and historic seasons by a freshman in college football history.
The Miami Hurricanes concluded their regular season with another dominant victory, this time over the 24th-ranked Pitt Panthers; 38-7 was the final score. Despite not getting the help needed to qualify for the ACC championship game, the hope is that the Selection Committee will consider the program's resume carefully to receive an "at-large" bid for the College Football Playoffs.
One of the biggest factors in the Hurricanes' astonishing victory was Malachi Toney. The freshman wide receiver caught 13 passes for 126 yards, including a touchdown. He also rushed five times for 30 yards.
If that wasn't impressive enough, the 18-year-old completed a pass to sophomore tight end Elija Lofton for a wide-open nine-yard touchdown.
Toney has done anything and everything for this Hurricanes team throughout the entire season. For the year, he's recorded 970 receiving yards, setting a new program record for a freshman. Previously, wide receiver Ahmmon Richards held it after recording 934 receiving yards in 2016.
Mario Cristobal wasn't "surprised" when hearing about the great accomplishment:
"All year long, his dedication, his national talent, his game day approach and performances have been absolutely awesome," he said. "[Malachi] is just getting started. There isn't a better freshman in the country; there might not be a better and more exciting player in the country right now than Malachi Toney. It's fun to be around; he does it all."
The reclassified star claimed that he'd be a "liar" if all that transpired was expected:
"I knew what I was going to do for my team, I always knew that I'd do my job, and I always do what my coaches ask [of] me, but God had other plans for me," Toney said. "His plans' always bigger than my dreams. I can plan for me to be a Freshman All-American, but His plan was for me to be other things. It really [is] all glory to God. His plans [are] so much different from mine."
Toney mentioned that the Hurricanes' playoff hopes are uncontrollable, but that the team played "complementary football."
"Of course, we had a few falloffs,” he added. “A couple of weeks here and there, but I'd say we did a great job playing well-rounded football”.
It does not matter what Toney is asked to do; the up-and-coming superstar does it with great energy. The best part for Cristobal and the Hurricanes football program is that there's still room for improvement for him.
More Miami Hurricanes News:
- "Hurricanes Survive Hoyas' Second-Half Surge In ESPN Tournament"
- "Hurricanes' Self-Inflicted Errors Result In Cougars' Victory"
- "Hurricanes' Mark Fletcher Jr. Reveals Motivation Behind Season Success"
- "Hurricanes Failed Opportunity Against Reigning Champion Gators"