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Miami offers 2026 area prospect, yes 2026 ... "It's a dream school, in my hometown"

On3 imageby:Matt Shodell•09/02/22•

canesport

On3 image
(photo via Malachi Toney)

Plantation (FL) American Heritage is one of the key area talent-laden programs at which the new Miami Hurricanes staff hopes to make major inroads in this upcoming class and moving forward.

For some of the American Heritage prospects, make that moving way forward.

On Monday, the Canes offered American Heritage 2026 athlete Malachi Toney. Yes, 2026. He’s in ninth grade and is playing on the varsity team this year.

Last year? He was still in Optimist.

“I just put in the work, there’s two others that made varsity that are in ninth grade,” Toney said.

Oh, and Miami’s not his first offer. It’s his fourth, in this modern era of rushing to get in early with future top prospects. At 5-9 1/2 and 165 pounds, Toney plays mainly wide receiver but can also play defensive back.

He has speed and explosive ability on both sides of the ball.

His other offers are from Texas A&M, Western Carolina and Louisville.

The Cane offer?

They were talking to me about how well I play, that they see my confidence. Then they offered me after they said that, said they’d be glad to offer me a scholarship to Miami.

Malachi Toney

“My coach, he put me on the phone and I talked to coach (Kevin) Smith and coach (Mike) Rumph,” Toney said. “They were talking to me about how well I play, that they see my confidence. Then they offered me after they said that, said they’d be glad to offer me a scholarship to Miami.

“I was excited. It’s a dream school, in my hometown.”

Toney says he grew up a Miami and Alabama fan.

He adds that he thinks Miami “will be good. I like the way coach (Mario) Cristobal is setting things up with the class of 2023. By the time the class of 2026 comes up we’ll be good.”

CaneSport’s take

Toney says schools he likes most right now at this early point are Miami, Alabama and Ohio State. “And there’ll be more,” he says. He also has some personal ties to Miami: He’s friendly with James Williams, Romello Brinson and Kahlil Brantley. “I talk to them sometimes – they say it’s a brotherhood there, that it’s good to be there,” Toney said. As for offering this early? Well you don’t want area top prospects wondering why the hometown team isn’t one of the first to offer, so this is probably going to be somewhat the norm with Cristobal & Co.

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