Miami head coach Mario Cristobal said in the postgame press conference that star true freshman wide receiver Malachi Toney is fine after taking a big hit later in the game. Adam Lichtenstein of the Sun Sentinel reported Toney had some knee-on-knee contact.
Toney had a relatively quiet game with two receptions for 12 yards, three carries for 14 yards, two punt returns for four yards and a memorable 14-yard touchdown pass on a throwback to Miami quarterback Carson Beck for the first score of the game.
An injury to Toney would have been another one to an already-thinning Miami WR corps. Miami played without starting WR C.J. Daniels for the second consecutive game and reserve wideout Tony Johnson also missed the 38-10 win over Syracuse with an injury.
With Syracuse focusing on Toney, and Daniels along with Johnson out, multiple other Miami WRs stepped up. True freshman Daylyn Upshaw had a reception for 41 yards and Keelan Marion had three catches for 116 yards and a TD as they accounted for over 60 of Miami's receiving yards.
Mario Cristobal said star WR Malachi Toney, who took a big hit late in the game, is fine. He just had some knee-on-knee contact.
— Adam Lichtenstein (@ABLichtenstein) November 9, 2025
""He is ok. It was a knee-to-knee shot. It is more of a bruising than anything else. "Miami HC Mario Cristobal, via InsidetheU
Toney has been the best offensive player for Miami this season. Without a currently updated status on Daniels, Miami cannot afford to lose another WR and particularly Toney, with three games remaining in the regular season. The performances by Marion and Upshaw are encouraging for Miami for the remainder of the season.
After missing a significant portion of the season, sophomore JoJo Trader started with Marion at Toney at WR for Miami on Saturday versus Syracuse. True freshman Joshua Moore also had one reception for 12 yards against Syracuse.
Miami will host North Carolina State in its final 2025 home game. Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh host Miami in the final two regular-season games for the Hurricanes in 2025. Toney should be the favorite for ACC Rookie of the Year and potentially the National Freshman of the Year if he is healthy in the final three regular-season games.