The No. 12 Miami Hurricanes pass the eye test as being a College Football Playoff caliber team in 2025.
In this ongoing series InsideTheU will break down the different ways that Miami looks the part as being a team that deserves a spot in the 12-team postseason playoff.
In this article we focus on how Miami features one of the country’s most dynamic playmakers on offense in the country in slot receiver Malachi Toney.
In the previous installments of the ‘Eye Test Chronicles’ we have highlighted how Miami quarterback Carson Beck is playing as well as any signal caller in the country down this final stretch of the season along with a look at how the Hurricanes are the best line of scrimmage team in the country.
The emergence of Toney as a star true freshman has made Miami’s attack dangerous because he is one of the most dynamic playmakers in the country with his ability to be a receiver who can make plays downfield or generate yards after catch in the short game and then also be a threat on jet-sweeps and also a passing threat on a trick play.
On the season, Toney has caught 71 passes for 844 yards and six touchdowns while also rushing the ball 12 times for 59 yards and one touchdown and also completing 3-of-4 passes for 73 yards and one touchdown.
That’s accounting for 976 yards of offense along with eight touchdowns.
Toney is also one of the best punt returners in the country, averaging 15.2 yards per attempt on 11 attempts, which makes him top ten in the country in that metric.
Going into this final week of the regular season, Toney ranks 23rd in the country in receiving yards. What makes Toney a dangerous threat is his ability to pick up yards after catch. Toney ranks third in the country with 530 yards after catch on the season. Toney has forced 24 missed tackles as a receiver, which ranks third in the country.
Toney is also a dynamic target down the field out of the slot. According to PFF, Toney has caught 8-of-14 deep shot targets for 253 yards and three touchdowns. He has reeled in 2-of-3 contested catch opportunities on these deep shot attempts.
Toney doesn’t make mistakes as well. He has been targeted 90 times on the year and according to PFF, he has not dropped on catchable pass on the year.
According to PFF, there are 14 receivers in the country who have been targeted at least 50 times and not dropped a catchable pass. Toney has by far the most targets of that group with David Wells having the second most targets of these receivers without a drop at 72 targets.
Toney is also a threat as a runner, converting four first downs in that role and scoring one touchdown. He has forced three missed tackles as a runner.
As a passer, Toney has earned a 90.4 passing grade from PFF and has graded out as making one ‘big time throw’ on the year. Toney has completed a deep shot that travelled 23 yards downfield, a short pass, and a pass behind the line of scrimmage.
Overall, Toney is one of the top playmakers in the country. When you combine his playmaking ability with the strong play of quarterback Carson Beck and the fact that the Hurricanes are the best line of scrimmage team in the country and it is another way that this 2025 Miami team passes the eye test.
A CFP team has an explosive weapon on offense to feature. Toney is that player for the Hurricanes this year.
Which top 15 teams feature skill players with at least 900 yards of offense and eight touchdowns? Here is the list…
– Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith (922 yards of offense, 10 TDs)
– Texas A&M WR Kevin Concepcion (883 yards of offense, 9 TDs)
– Texas Tech RB Cameron Dickey (1,123 yards of offense, 14 TDs)
– Ole Miss RB Kewan Lacy (1,275 yards of offense, 19 TDs)
– Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love (1,580 yards of offense, 20 TDs)
– Miami WR Malachi Toney (976 yards of offense, 8 TDs)
– BYU RB LJ Martin (1,323 yards of offense, 8 TDs)
– Michigan RB Jordan Marshall (953, 10 TDs)
– Michigan RB Justice Haynes (907, 10 TDs)
