Malachi Toney gets All-American nod that might hold the most weight

The accolades keep coming for Malachi Toney and this one means as much as any that the superstar freshman could get.

Toney, who set the Miami single-season record for a freshman with 970 receiving yards, was named an All-American by Pro Football Focus (PFF) at the FLEX position. He joins Hurricanes defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. as PFF All-Americans.

PFF correctly referred to Toney as the top true freshman in the country and the 18-year-old wide receiver has earned every award he received this time with his clutch performances throughout the season.

"Toney doesn’t have a single drop on 84 catchable targets and leads the Power Four with 623 yards after the catch. If that’s not enough, he also has two passing touchdowns and a rushing score."

PFF on Malachi Toney

Mario Cristobal was on the Colin Cowherd show last week and described Toney as an "old school Miami Hurricane"

"From day one, just what he would do on the field and how he'd back it up with his work ethic. Insane energy, unbelievable character. It's like he's never had a bad day. He lights up a room whenever he walks in it. He's unselfish. Watch the guy when his teammates score. When his teammates score, he's going bananas," Cristobal said.

Last week Toney was named an AP All-American. He has also been named ACC Rookie of the Year, ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year and First-Team All-ACC.

Bain has been as good as advertised

Rueben Bain came into the season with massive expectations and has lived up to the billing with ACC Defensive Player of the Year and First-Team All-ACC honors to go along with his numerous national awards.

PFF had Bain graded out at 93.0 for the season, tied with Texas Tech's David Bailey for the best among edge rushers. He was top-10 in PFF as both an edge rusher and a run defender. Bain is projected to go in the top 10 of the 2026 NFL Draft. 

Both Toney and Bain will be back on the field next Saturday, December 20, when the Hurricanes take on the Texas A&M Aggies in the first round of the College Football Playoffs.