CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Malachi Toney, the star receiver for top-ranked Miami and a Heisman Trophy candidate, has been scheduled for surgery to address a high ankle sprain and will be sidelined for multiple weeks, a person with knowledge of the matter said Wednesday night.
The initial timeline for Toney's recovery won't be known until after the surgery, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither the player nor the school revealed those details publicly.
It is a huge blow to the Hurricanes (8-0, No. 1 College Football Playoff), who play a showdown game at No. 4 Notre Dame (7-1, No. 11 CFP) on Saturday — and now will do so without one of the nation's most dynamic players.
The injury is believed to be a high ankle sprain, and it's not uncommon for athletes with that issue to undergo surgery in an effort to speed the timeline of healing. Recovery periods vary widely, but it would seem very possible that Toney could return at some point this season.
Earlier Wednesday, the Hurricanes confirmed that Toney suffered an ankle injury in practice that morning. In a statement, Miami's athletic department said Toney was “undergoing further evaluation by the team's medical staff," adding that it will share further updates as appropriate.
Toney has dealt with ankle issues at times this season without missing any games — until now. The Hurricanes don't have a bye week for the rest of the regular season; they play Notre Dame this week, then finish with home games against Duke (Nov. 14), Virginia Tech (Nov. 21) and Boston College (Nov. 28).
If Miami makes the Atlantic Coast Conference title game — the Hurricanes would have to lose at least two of their final three league contests to not qualify — it would play again Dec. 5. The national playoff starts on Dec. 18; if the Hurricanes earn a top-four seed in that event it wouldn't begin CFP play until Dec. 30 at the earliest.
Not having Toney will have a huge impact on Miami — especially against a Notre Dame team entering this week with the nation's top-ranked defense. Among all Football Bowl Subdivision players entering this week, Toney is second with 73 catches, tied for second with 13 touchdown receptions and third with 1,027 receiving yards.
“He's as good as anyone you'll see,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said earlier this week.
This Miami-Notre Dame game — a rematch of a Week 1 game a year ago won by Miami, an outcome that ultimately got the Hurricanes the last at-large berth into the CFP field and kept the Irish out of the playoff — has been touted for months as a showdown between great teams. It was also supposed to be a showdown of elite talent, especially what had been a widely expected matchup between Toney and Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore.
Toney is responsible for 35% of Miami's catches, 39% of its receiving yards and 46% of its touchdown receptions this season. An All-American last year as a freshman, he and Miami quarterback Darian Mensah are among the Heisman favorites this season with the Hurricanes among the national leaders in a slew of offensive categories.
Toney appeared in all 24 of the Hurricanes' contests since he enrolled last year. He led the nation with 109 catches last season and is already just 18 away from matching the Miami all-time record of 200 — set by Xavier Restrepo over five seasons. Toney is in just his second year at Miami.
He broke the Hurricanes' record for receiving yards in a game with 234 in this season's opening win at Stanford, then broke the school record for receptions in a game with 16 against Pitt last month. Toney's 2,238 receiving yards ranks sixth all-time at Miami, and his 23 career receiving touchdowns are three shy of matching Michael Irvin's school record.
Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here. Visit the Top 25 here and see AP’s full college football coverage here
Miami wide receiver Malachi Toney celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Pittsburgh, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Miami wide receiver Malachi Toney (1) escapes a tackle from Pittsburgh linebacker Braylan Lovelace (0) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rams starting cornerback Jaylen Watson will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on his injured shoulder, coach Sean McVay said Wednesday.
On the same day superstar defensive end Myles Garrett and tight end Terrance Ferguson returned to practice from lengthy injury absences, the Rams learned they'll be without one of their top offseason additions until next year.
Los Angeles (4-4) acquired Watson and Trent McDuffie to be its starting cornerbacks last March, and both former Kansas City Chiefs have been outstanding when healthy.
But Watson missed a game earlier this season after dislocating his shoulder, and the two-time Super Bowl champion hurt that shoulder again in the Rams' 24-9 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers last Sunday.
“That's a big blow, a bummer for him,” McVay said. “He's been such a stud for us. He wanted to be able to play through it, but just kind of understanding the totality of it all, it was recommended for him to get that surgery, and he'll be on IR. He's been awesome, and whenever he gets back next year, we'll be better. He's been everything and that much more that we'd hoped.”
Watson has 24 tackles, an interception and nine passes defensed in his seven games with the Rams, who signed him to a three-year, $51 million deal as a free agent from Kansas City.
McDuffie has also missed two games with a hamstring injury, and he didn't practice Wednesday after injuring his back against the Chargers. McDuffie expressed cautious confidence Monday that he wouldn't be forced to miss a game with his latest injury.
Safety Kam Curl also missed Wednesday's practice with a foot injury, leaving the Rams without three starting defensive backs as they began preparations for their trip to face the Washington Commanders on Sunday.
Josh Wallace and former Commanders first-round pick Emmanuel Forbes are expected to replace Watson on the Rams' defense.
But Garrett was in practice with his teammates for the first time since his zero-tackle Rams debut in Australia nearly two months ago. The two-time AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year had knee surgery and missed seven games.
Garrett took the field at the Rams' training complex moments before the start of Wednesday's practice with no bulky brace on his left knee. He went through warmups and individual drills in the portion of the workout open to the media, and he was scheduled to take about half of the practice reps to see how his body responds.
“It's great, because I saw how hard he was working through the season and the offseason," fellow pass rusher Byron Young said. “Having him back out there and finally getting to play with him, hopefully this Sunday, however he feels, I'm ready to be right with him. I can't wait.”
Young said Garrett looked like his old self, including the fast-twitch explosiveness that has made him one of the greatest pass rushers of this era.
“We were doing the get-offs, and I said, ‘Boy, I missed that,’” Young said. “The way he attacks the ball and everything, it's a blessing to see that. It's like art.”
McVay isn't certain whether Garrett will be ready to play at Washington, saying the Rams will make that decision later in the week. If Garrett is ready he will finally get to play alongside Aaron Donald, who was tempted out of retirement by the prospect of playing alongside Garrett.
“It's exciting,” McVay said. “It's great to be able to get him back out there. Just trying to stay in the moment, one day at a time.”
McVay also said tight end Colby Parkinson isn't ready to return to practice after missing Sunday's game with a rib injury, but Ferguson is back after missing five games with an ankle injury. Ferguson, a second-round pick last year, is one of the Rams' top pass-catching threats at the position.
Starting guard Steve Avila (hamstring) and depth receiver Jordan Whittington (back) were limited in Wednesday's practice. Long snapper Joe Cardona could miss a second straight game with his ankle injury.
Ronnie Rivers, a running back and key special teams contributor, is returning to practice after missing six weeks with a calf injury. His absence has been one key factor in the poor performances of the Rams' special teams units in recent weeks.
See AP’s full NFL coverage here
Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jaylen Watson (35) and cornerback Josh Wallace (30) react after a play against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jaylen Watson, left, runs with a member of the training staff as he heads to the locker rooms during the second half of an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
