CORAL GABLES, Fla. — 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).
Sign of the times
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama and LSU have spent decades giving college football fans a reason to mark their calendars.
Next year, those fans will have to find another game.
The longtime Southeastern Conference opponents have played every season since 1964, a stretch that will end after No. 9 Alabama visits No. 15 LSU on Saturday. The series will resume in Tuscaloosa in 2028, but its annual place on the schedule is going away.
A matchup that has helped decide national championships didn’t make the cut when the SEC selected three annual opponents for each school under its new nine-game conference schedule.
“And I understand, so I’m not being critical,” LSU coach Lane Kiffin said. “All the decisions, usually, I think all of them probably really come down to money, whether that’s the realignments, whether that’s the rivalries. So, I think it’s all sad in general in the big picture of things that money drives to make (changes to) such great traditions and rivalries.”
The Crimson Tide and Tigers are both 6-2, with the loser facing a more difficult path to the College Football Playoff. Alabama was fifth in the selection committee’s initial rankings Tuesday, while LSU came in 14th.
For LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt, reminders of the game’s importance come well before he reaches the practice field. Fans tell him to beat Alabama when he goes to the store or gets food.
He grew up in Oregon, but Alabama-LSU was a game he made time to watch.
“Being from the West Coast and, you know, fantasizing about watching a game down here, not being a part of it, uh, it’s a surreal and special experience,” Leavitt said Tuesday.
The expanded conference schedule gives each school three annual opponents and six rotating matchups. Every team will face each SEC opponent at least once every two years and home and away over four years.
Alabama will play Auburn, Tennessee and Mississippi State annually. LSU’s annual opponents are Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas A&M.
The league considered traditional rivalries, competitive fairness and geography, among other factors, in making those matchups.
Annual opponents will be evaluated after each four-year cycle.
Alabama-LSU was left among the rotating games.
