Miami Star Malachi Toney Uncertain for Notre Dame Showdown With Ankle Injury

No. 1 Miami may have to play its biggest regular-season game without its best player at full strength. Star receiver Malachi Toney is dealing with an injured ankle, and his status for Saturday night's game at Notre Dame is uncertain, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel and Max Olson on Wednesday.

Thamel and Olson reported that Toney is expected to press and attempt to play, given the magnitude of the game. Miami confirmed the injury in a statement later Wednesday afternoon:

"Malachi Toney sustained an injury during Wednesday's practice and is currently undergoing further evaluation by the team's medical staff. We will share additional updates as appropriate."

What We Know

On3's Pete Nakos reported that Toney rolled his ankle during Wednesday's practice, is undergoing further testing and is pushing to play. The early signs lean hopeful. The Miami Herald's Barry Jackson reported that Miami does not view the injury as serious or long-term, and CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz reported the hope is that it is not serious. Toney has not been ruled out.

Even if he plays, an ankle injury three days before kickoff matters for a receiver whose game is built on getting open and making people miss after the catch. How much he can cut and accelerate on Saturday will say a lot about how dangerous Miami's passing game can be.

Why Toney Matters So Much

Toney has 73 catches for 1,027 yards and 13 touchdowns through eight games, his second straight 1,000-yard season, and he ranks third nationally in receiving yards. He accounts for more than 38% of Miami's receiving yards in the highest-scoring offense in college football. Two weeks ago he caught a school-record 16 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns against Pitt, and on Wednesday morning, hours before the injury news broke, Miami announced he had been named to the Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll for Week 9.

Notre Dame knows him well. Toney's breakout came against the Irish in last season's opener, when he caught six passes for 82 yards and a touchdown in Miami's 27-24 win. He went on to finish the national championship season with 109 catches for 1,211 yards and 10 touchdowns.

If Toney is limited or out, more falls on Cooper Barkate, Miami's second-leading receiver with 28 catches for 372 yards and four touchdowns, and on a run game led by Mark Fletcher Jr. and Javian Mallory. Quarterback Darian Mensah leads the country with an 80.7% completion rate, but a lot of those throws have gone to Toney.

By the Numbers

• 73 catches for Toney this season.
• 1,027 receiving yards, third in the country.
• 13 touchdown catches through eight games.
• 16 catches against Pitt on Oct. 24, a Miami single-game record.

What's at Stake Saturday

Miami is 8-0 after surviving North Carolina 38-35 on Halloween and is chasing a first-round playoff bye. Notre Dame is coming off a 35-13 win over Navy but sat just No. 11 in the first College Football Playoff rankings, so the Irish badly need this one. Notre Dame has injury news of its own, with linebacker Drayk Bowen ruled out with an ankle injury.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Notre Dame Stadium on NBC. Miami said it will share more on Toney as appropriate, and any word before Saturday night will go a long way toward shaping one of the biggest games of the season.

Sources: ESPN, Miami Athletics, On3, Miami Herald, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and Sports Illustrated. More college football coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0).