ESPN tabs Malachi Toney as a dark horse to break a 34-year Hurricanes drought, but his own teammate might complicate things
The Canes could have two Heisman Trophy candidates this year, but Toney has the path to forge his own candidacy.
It’s been a minute since the Miami Hurricanes have had a player raise the greatest trophy in collegiate sports — the Heisman Trophy. 34 years, to be exact.
The Hurricanes have two winners in their vaunted program history. Vinny Testaverde brought home the hardware in 1986. Gino Torretta matched the feat in 1992. Both years saw the Hurricanes play for the national championship but lose.
Well, that’s something that the Hurricanes experienced last year, running the table all the way to the national title game before losing to Indiana 27-21 to just miss their first national title in 24 years. Could the Hurricanes be set to snap two long droughts this fall? ESPN certainly gives them a chance.
WR Malachi Toney (38-1 odds) was listed by ESPN sports betting analyst Pamela Maldonado as a long shot bet with a real path to the trophy — if his quarterback doesn’t impede that path.
ESPN names WR Malachi Toney a long shot dark horse Heisman Trophy contender, but preaches caution about QB Darian Mensah
“Toney caught 109 passes for 1,211 yards, produced 841 yards after the catch and earned one of the best receiving grades in the country,” Maldonado wrote. “That combo gives him both volume and highlight potential. He would need something near 1,500 yards and 15 scores and possibly a playoff appearance, while quarterback Darian Mensah could receive most of the credit.
“Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is an obvious look, but 14-1 isn’t really a long shot. The receiver path is narrower because elite production alone is insufficient. Toney would also need the Hurricanes to contend without Mensah absorbing the narrative.”
There certainly is something to that complicated dynamic. Toney’s success, to some degree, depends on how well Mensah performs on the field this year. Such is the nature of the wide receiver position.
But, on the other hand, Toney isn’t your typical wide receiver. A former fill-in high school quarterback, he threw two touchdowns last year and ran for another. Offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson got the “Mali-cat” package implemented for him as well. Toney also totaled 298 punt return yards, and was a shoelace from a return touchdown against Texas A&M.
In short, Miami will get Toney involved in a world of different ways this year, and that could lead him to a path where his success isn’t totally dependent upon Mensah.
We’ll find out soon enough of Toney can reach college football immortality, with the season-opening kickoff against Stanford just over a week away.
