Plenty of true freshmen have taken the college football world by storm in 2025, but none have done it quite like Miami receiver Malachi Toney.
While other newcomers have flashed potential, Toney has transcended the typical freshman role, emerging as the best freshman wide receiver in the nation and already a go-to star for the Hurricanes. Living up to the hype and then some, he once again made a mark in No. 10 Miami's first-round College Football Playoff game against Texas A&M.
Get to know the freshman from Florida who will be a household name for the Hurricanes in the next few seasons.
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Malachi Toney stats
In the regular season, Toney emerged as one of the most prolific wide receivers in college football.
- Receptions: 84
- Receiving yards: 970
- Receiving TDs: 7
- Rushing yards: 89
- Rushing TDs: 1
His 84 receptions were sixth in the nation, just ahead of the receiver from Miami who lit it up as a true freshman in 2024, Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith.
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Is Malachi Toney related to Kadarius Toney?
Malachi Toney is not related to former NFL wide receiver Kadarius Toney.
While they share a last name and both played college football in the state of Florida, there is no known family connection between the two.
Toney does, however, have an NFL connection through his father, Antonio Brown, who played wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins from 2003 to 2005. This is not the Antonio Brown who was a star with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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Malachi Toney high school stats
Toney played high school football at American Heritage High School in Plantation, Florida. He notably reclassified from the 2026 recruiting class to the 2025 class, foregoing his traditional senior year to enroll early at Miami.
In his final season, Toney won the MaxPreps 2024 Florida High School Football Player of the Year, when he had 57 receptions for 1,018 yards and 12 receiving touchdowns; he added on 36 carries for 228 yards and 4 rushing touchdowns.
| Category | Receptions/Carries/Attempts | Yards | Touchdowns (TD) |
| Receiving | 141 Receptions | 2,412 Yards | 28 TDs |
| Rushing | 44 Carries | 277 Yards | 4 TDs |
| Passing | 53 Attempts | 524 Yards | 8 TDs |
| All-Purpose | - | 3,100 Yards | 40 TDs |
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Did Malachi Toney play QB in high school?
Toney was not primarily a signal-caller, but did play quarterback during his final season. When the starting quarterback sustained a season-ending injury during American Heritage's postseason run in 2024, Toney stepped in and guided the team through the remainder of the playoffs, leading them to a Class 4A state championship.
During the postseason games he played at quarterback, he completed 38 of 53 passes for 524 yards, eight touchdowns, and one interception.
This high school experience at quarterback has also been utilized by the Hurricanes, who use Toney in Wildcat packages and trick plays in college.
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