Malachi Toney to Miss Extended Time for No. 1 Miami as Ankle Surgery Is Expected

No. 1 Miami will play its biggest road game of the season without its best receiver. Malachi Toney, the sophomore wide receiver who has carried the Hurricanes offense, injured his ankle in practice on Wednesday, November 4, 2026. Reports late on Wednesday said he will miss an extended period of time, starting with Saturday's game at Notre Dame, and that he is expected to have surgery on the ankle.

First reports said he would try to play

ESPN reporters Pete Thamel and Max Olson broke the news on Wednesday in posts on X. They reported that Toney was dealing with an injured ankle, that his status for Saturday was uncertain, and that he was expected to press and attempt to play given the magnitude of the game. Their reporting added that the injury was not expected to be a long-term setback. The Athletic confirmed the injury through multiple Miami sources. On3 reported that Toney rolled his ankle after getting caught up with a cornerback during practice and was undergoing further testing.

Miami confirmed the injury in a statement released on Wednesday afternoon. "Malachi Toney sustained an injury during Wednesday's practice and is currently undergoing further evaluation by the team's medical staff," the statement said. "We will share additional updates as appropriate." The Miami Herald's Barry Jackson reported that the injury was not considered serious or long term, and that a Miami coach was hopeful Toney would return to practice on Thursday. Because Saturday's game is a non-conference matchup, Miami is not required to submit a player availability report to the ACC, a conference official told USA TODAY Sports.

Later reports point to surgery and a longer absence

The outlook changed late on Wednesday. USA TODAY Sports reported, in an update confirmed by its reporter John Brice, that Toney is expected to miss an extended period of time. The report said he will miss the Notre Dame game, is set to undergo a medical procedure, and could return in time for the College Football Playoff. Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reported that Toney is expected to undergo surgery for the ankle injury. Zenitz added that the current belief is that the injury is not season-ending. Miami has not announced a procedure or a return date, and the school said only that Toney is still being evaluated.

What Miami loses on Saturday

Toney has 73 catches for 1,027 yards and 13 touchdowns through eight games this season. On October 24 he set a Miami single-game record with 16 catches for 194 yards and three touchdowns in a 52-23 win over Pittsburgh. He entered this week ranked No. 3 in the USA TODAY Sports Heisman Trophy power rankings. Without him, quarterback Darian Mensah loses the target who has decided Miami's biggest games, and the Hurricanes must rebuild their passing plan three days before kickoff. Notre Dame has an injury absence of its own. Linebacker Drayk Bowen has been ruled out with an ankle injury, according to Bleacher Report. Kickoff at Notre Dame Stadium is set for Saturday, November 7 at 7:30 p.m. ET, with the game shown on NBC.