Mark Ingram, the 2009 Heisman winner out of Alabama, said on The Triple Option podcast that Malachi Toney is his "way-too-early" pick and called him "the next Heisman brother," pointing directly to what Miami just did in its playoff run.
Expectations are high for Malachi Toney in 2026
Toney's freshman season for the Miami Hurricanes ended with 109 catches for 1,211 yards and 10 touchdowns in 16 games, and his 109 receptions led the nation. He also logged 23 rushing attempts for 113 yards and a touchdown, threw two touchdown passes on gadget looks (4-of-7 passing for 82 yards), and handled punt return duties throughout the year.
Miami reached the College Football Playoff National Championship and lost 27-21 to Indiana Hoosiers, but Toney was one of the constants while Miami tried to rally. He finished the title game with 10 catches for 122 yards and a touchdown.
Toney was named the ACC's Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year. Later, he was selected as the Football Writers Association of America's Offensive Freshman of the Year and earned Freshman All-America recognition.
The obvious caveat is the same one that comes with every non-QB Heisman prediction. It is a quarterback award most years, and the voters usually want their winner to be on a top-tier team with big moments in big games. For Toney to win, Miami will need to have more regular season success than they did last year. Despite all of the postseason success, the Hurricanes went 10-2 and did not make the ACC championship game. For 2026, Miami will most likely need to be 11-1 and make the ACC final for Toney to be considered.
WR's to win the Heisman Trophy
- Johnny Rodgers, University of Nebraska (1972)
- Tim Brown, University of Notre Dame (1987)
- Desmond Howard, University of Michigan (1991)
- DeVonta Smith, University of Alabama (2020)
Travis Hunter (2024) was a true two-way player and Charles Woodson (1997) caught passes (11 receptions for 231 yards and one touchdown) but was primarily a corner. Leon Hart (1949) and Larry Kelley (1936) are the two TE's to win the award.