MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Malachi Toney didn’t arrive quietly.
Miami Hurricanes freshman wide receiver quickly emerged as one of college football’s most electric new faces this season, turning what was once labeled a “secret weapon” into must-see television.
“I remember just telling all my family and friends about what he was going to be able to do for us this year and that we definitely had a secret weapon,” said quarterback Carson Beck.
Toney made his presence known almost immediately after stepping on campus, drawing attention not just for his speed and versatility, but for his approach.
“What’s special about Malachi Toney is his approach to the game now,” said Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal. “That guy approaches the game as if he’s like a 5-, 50- or 6-year NFL vet. He’s just getting started.”
While fans and analysts have only been watching for months, Toney’s mother, Shatravia “Toni” Toney, said she has seen it since the beginning.
“Looking at this field and remembering that seven-year-old kid with the big head that grew into it would be phenomenal,” she said. “Yes, I knew he would be someone special.”
Malachi Toney’s football journey began at Bunche Park in Miami Gardens, where his versatility quickly stood out.
“Malachi’s coach would actually say, ‘I need a quarterback. I need a DB (defensive back),’” Shatravia Toney said. “He would say, ‘I’ll do it. I’ll do it.’ So he would go everywhere. That’s when I realized this kid football IQ is through the roof and it’s different.”
That natural ability, she said, was matched by relentless work.
“Working, working, working, sacrificing, having fun — no fun for football,” she said. “We realized you, you are maybe two to three years ahead of your age when it comes down to football.”
That belief led Malachi Toney to reclassify, joining the Hurricanes early during what would have been his junior year of high school.
“I asked his coach, and he asked his coach, ‘Do you think Malachi is ready to class up?’” said Shatravia Toney. “And he said, Mike Smith. And he said, ‘Yes. If I could say any kid is ready, I would say he is ready.’”
The jump from high school to college football required Toney to grow up fast — and forced his mother to learn to watch from the stands.
“Your baby boy go on the collegiate level and play with these kids that’s 6′6, 330 pounds, it’s like — I’m nervous,” she said.
That anxiety turned into emotion when Toney scored his first touchdown against Notre Dame.
“It was amazing,” she said. “I couldn’t do it. I bust out crying.”
Beyond the growth on the field, Shatravia Toney said the journey has changed her as well.
“To see him surpass a lot of things in life and to be where he is today, I will honestly tell you, I believe that he will be who he is today,” she said.
“What has this journey taught you about yourself?” asked Local 10’s Kacy Hintz.
“Patience,” Shatravia Toney replied.
She added, “The mom I have grown to be, the person I have grown to be, I may not give myself many flowers, but what I can do is say I did an amazing job with raising that kid.”
Malachi Toney’s future, she said, is bright, and now he will get a chance to win a national championship on Monday, in the city where he is from.
Shatravia Toney said that the two speak every day, especially on game days, when they exchange texts and prayers. Malachi Toney often sends his mother a thought or feeling about the game.
“And then like every other game,” she said, “I’ll say, ‘OK, Malachi, let’s go.’”
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