A decade later, Mark Richt's "long game" in South Florida is making the rounds again on social media, with Miami fans sharing an old photo from his first year running the Hurricanes and pointing out a familiar face: a much younger Malachi Toney standing near him.
The photo has circulated this week across Miami message boards and X, with fans framing it as a full-circle moment as the Hurricanes will play in the College Football Playoff national championship.
S/O to get @MarkRicht getting out in the community in 2016. The fruits of this labor paying off in 2026 as young Mali stands next to him on the right. pic.twitter.com/sLiGUe4jVZ
— Greentree All-American (@NordyCane2) January 13, 2026
Mark Richt was pictured with Malachi Toney back in 2016
Richt arrived at Miami determined to reconnect the program with the city's youth football roots, and now one of the area's top young stars, Toney, is wearing the same colors on Saturdays.
Back then, ESPN documented Richt making weekly stops at parks around the area, including a visit to Mills Pond Park, where about 100 youth players practiced in Hurricanes-branded gear. ESPN reported that Richt had visited a park in the Miami area "every Thursday since the summer."
"It's called recruiting," Richt told the crowd in the story, as he pitched Miami to kids who had grown up far removed from the program's peak years.
That outreach was never about landing an immediate five-star. It was about rebuilding a relationship. ESPN described it as Richt "playing a long game," with local coaches believing the kids he met would be "the ones on the field when Miami is really back."
It seems like that ended up working with Toney. The star wide receiver played at American Heritage, won the Nat Moore Award as South Florida's top player, and was named Florida High School Player of the Year by MaxPreps. In his final season, he helped American Heritage go 12-2 and win a state title while totaling 58 receptions for 1,008 yards and 12 touchdowns. Then, he chose to stay home and play for the Hurricanes.
On the field at Miami, Toney has helped the Canes reach the CFP national title game. This season, Toney has 99 receptions for 1,089 yards and nine TDs. So, in a way, the Miami Hurricanes can thank Richt for part of their success this season.