Miami Star Receiver Malachi Toney Faces Ankle Surgery

73.

That is the number of catches Malachi Toney has secured this season for the top-ranked Miami Hurricanes. The star wide receiver is currently second in the Football Bowl Subdivision for that statistic. He also holds a tie for second place with 13 touchdown receptions and ranks third with 1,027 receiving yards. Toney has been scheduled for surgery to treat a high ankle sprain and will be out for multiple weeks, according to a person with knowledge of the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on Wednesday night.

The recovery timeline remains uncertain until the surgical procedure is complete. The source, who asked for anonymity because neither the player nor the school had released those details publicly, noted that athletes with high ankle sprains often undergo surgery to accelerate healing. While recovery periods vary, it is possible Toney could return before the season ends. Miami confirmed earlier Wednesday that Toney suffered the injury during a morning practice session. The athletic department stated he is undergoing further evaluation by the team's medical staff and will provide updates as appropriate.

The injury deals a major blow to the Hurricanes, who are 8-0 and hold the No. 1 spot in the College Football Playoff. They face a showdown against No. 4 Notre Dame on Saturday. The Irish are 7-1 and rank No. 11 in the CFP. Notre Dame enters the game with the nation's top-ranked defense. Miami coach Marcus Freeman praised Toney earlier in the week, calling him as good as anyone you will see. This matchup was also expected to feature a clash between Toney and Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore.

The absence of Toney will significantly alter Miami's offensive dynamics. He accounts for 35% of the team's catches, 39% of its receiving yards, and 46% of its touchdown receptions this season. Toney and quarterback Darian Mensah are among the favorites for the Heisman Trophy. The Hurricanes are national leaders in several offensive categories. Toney appeared in all 24 games since enrolling at Miami last year. He led the nation with 109 catches in his freshman year.

Toney is currently 18 catches away from matching the Miami all-time record of 200, a mark set by Xavier Restrepo over five seasons. In his second year, Toney has already broken school records. He set the single-game receiving yards record with 234 yards in the opening win at Stanford. He then broke the single-game receptions record with 16 catches against Pitt last month. His career total of 2,238 receiving yards ranks sixth all-time at Miami. He has 23 career receiving touchdowns, three short of Michael Irvin's school record.

The Hurricanes have no bye week remaining in the regular season. After Notre Dame, they host Duke on Nov. 14, Virginia Tech on Nov. 21, and Boston College on Nov. 28. If Miami reaches the Atlantic Coast Conference title game, it would play again on Dec. 5. The team would need to lose at least two of its final three league contests to miss the conference championship. The national playoff begins on Dec. 18. If the Hurricanes earn a top-four seed, their first CFP game would not occur until Dec. 30 at the earliest.