Mario Cristobal proved he had the Miami Hurricanes back to contending for National Championships last season, taking the Canes to the Championship Game. While the well rounded roster was the main reason for the Canes' resurgence, Miami also finally had the level of playmaker the program had in it's hay day as "The U".
Instead of dominating at the High School level, Malachi Toney reclassified and quickly became one of the biggest stars in college football as a freshman. Toney finished his freshman season with 109 catches for 1,211 yards and 10 touchdowns, adding scores rushing, and passing. Given the versatility of Toney, many believe he could be a Heisman candidate this season, and the opener gave him a chance to make a statement.
Malachi Toney's 1st quarter proves he's a serious Heisman contender
On Friday Night, the Miami Hurricanes opened the season on the road against Stanford in what many thought could be a trap game for Mario Cristobal's team. Malachi Toney instantly killed any thoughts of a slow start from Miami, opening the scoring with a 23 yard touchdown. After the touchdown, Malachi Toney showed that he has the Heisman on his mind, striking the pose to start the season.
Malachi Toney hit the Heisman celly after his TD 🔥 @accnetwork pic.twitter.com/quJNfu7kwM
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) September 5, 2026
One touchdown in the first quarter wasn't going to be enough from Malachi Toney either, as Darian Mensah recovered from a high snap nicely to deliver a strike to Toney who scored, and then made the Stanford defenders crash into each other.
Malachi Toney EMBARRASSING the Stanford DBs
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) September 5, 2026
Heisman loading… pic.twitter.com/VirOJr2Ha5
In the first quarter alone, Malachi Toney may have launched a Heisman Campaign with 5 catches for 89 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The scoring wasn't done for the special sophomore either as Darian Mensah found his elite wide receiver in the 3rd quarter for a 47 yard touchdown for his 3rd score of the game.
47 yard TOUCHDOWN TO Malachi Toney
— Grant Reacts (@GrantReacts1) September 5, 2026
THATS 3 FOR TONEY! pic.twitter.com/1UMIwLlpvk
The biggest X-Factor for Malachi Toney becoming a real Heisman candidate is having Darian Mensah at quarterback, who should provide a higher floor and a higher ceiling than Carson Beck. If Mensah can continue to find Malachi Toney when he works his way open deep, the two of them may end up in New York City for the Heisman Trophy ceremony.
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