Miami WR Malachi Toney said he models his game after Seattle's Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and there really aren't many choices better than the star Seahawks WR.
Toney worked out with Smith-Njigba this offseason, with training clips showing the two getting work together in Miami.
Malachi Toney wants to be a LEGEND 😤
— Bleacher Report CFB (@BR_CFB) July 10, 2026
Following the blueprint of Jaxon Smith-Njigba 👀
(via @thejrnymedia) pic.twitter.com/2Dfrw1vqem
Malachi Toney models his game after Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Toney vs JSN player comparison
Smith-Njigba became a star at Ohio State by being a polished route runner with elite body control and strong hands. Toney's freshman season at Miami showed many of the same traits.
Toney was easily Miami's best offensive player last year with 109 receptions and 1,211 receiving yards on the season. He had five 100-yard receiving games and produced 10 catches for 122 yards and a touchdown in the national championship game against Indiana.
Smith-Njigba's breakout season came one year later in his career. After catching 10 passes for 49 yards and one touchdown as a freshman in 2020, he exploded in 2021 with 95 receptions for a school-record 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns. He did it in a receiver room that also featured future first-round picks Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave. Smith-Njigba's best game in college came in the Rose Bowl against Utah where he recorded 15 receptions, 347 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Smith-Njigba had 63 receptions for 628 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie, then jumped to 100 catches for 1,130 yards and six touchdowns in 2024. He followed that with 119 receptions for 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2025, leading the NFL in receiving yards and securing a Super Bowl title.
Smith-Njigba measured 6-foot-0 5/8 and 196 pounds at the combine before running a 4.48 40-yard dash at Ohio State's pro day. Toney is 5-foot-11 and 188 pounds at Miami, and would probably run in that range, if not faster.
Add us as a preferred source on Google