While the Miami Hurricanes advance to the coveted national championship game, Malachi Toney is trending for a different reason altogether. His 36-yard touchdown sprint against the Rebels has earned him plenty of praise at the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, one that has now called for a change in NCAA rules.

“@NFL let Malachi Toney declare for the draft, we need playmakers,” writes NFL analyst Trevor Sikemma. He is a University of Florida alumnus, working as the lead NFL Draft analyst for Pro Football Focus.

Though Malachi is still a freshman, his impressive play-making abilities have him leading the WR room with 99 receptions and nine touchdowns so far. Already crossing the 1000-yard limit, he averages 11 yards per carry. At the Fiesta Bowl as well, he showed another glimpse of that potential.

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Miami entered the fourth quarter with a one-point lead, but Lucas Carneiro’s field goal gave the Rebels a 19-17 edge. What followed was a 75-yard drive that spanned four plays, featuring Malachi’s iconic 36-yard run that tilted the scales back in Miami’s favor once again.

QB Carson Beck threw a short slant pass towards Malachi, who then sprinted into a touchdown run, outpacing Ole Miss defenders into the end zone.

Celebrating his achievements, he has been bestowed with the ACC Rookie of the Year, while leading the Hurricanes to the national championship game. “This kid can do a lot more. So let’s push the limits of what we can do with him,” head coach Shannon Dawson had said last month.

What makes his story more interesting is the fact that he reclassified early in the 2025 season to begin his collegiate journey. The true freshman exhibited innate confidence in his abilities to take on the veterans at just seventeen years old.

However, even as the NFL invites him to the league, the NCAA rules make it impossible. According to the rulebook, student-athletes require a minimum of three years of collegiate experience to declare for the draft. So, Toney has still got two years to go before he can turn pro. That being said, this isn’t the first time the NFL has fallen in love with college playmakers.

You don’t need to look further than the Ohio State Buckeyes. Last year, watching star WR Jeremiah Smith’s rapid rise prompted similar reactions. His rookie year saw him make his legacy at Columbus. After totaling 934 yards on 10 touchdowns, he shattered Ohio State’s record for the most receiving yards and touchdown receptions, among others.

At that time, analysts were in complete awe of him, with TJ Pittinger iterating that Smith is draft-ready.

“It’s almost unfair that [Jeremiah Smith] has to play two more years in college football; I’ve never really thought much about the NFL changing that rule,” he shared on College Football Addiction in Feb 2025. “If there was ever a player to change it for, it would be him.”

Will the NCAA ever change its rule? It is highly unlikely.

Malachi Toney shines bright at Fiesta Bowl

Facing the Ole Miss Rebels. Malachi Toney caught five receptions and a touchdown, along with rushing for an additional 11 yards on two carries, leading Miami to victory. Post-game, he touched on what went through his mind during his 36-yard TD sprint.

“I just knew I had to make a play. I couldn’t overwhelm myself mentally,” he shared with the press. “But when Coach Dawson went out, when Coach Dawson called that play, I just knew I had to go out there and execute the play.”

However, at one point, he headed to the medical tent for a while. At 4:01 in the first quarter, while snagging a pass from QB Carson Beck, he received a massive hit by Rebels defensive back Nick Cull.

A plea for a targeting call ensued, but the lack of an “indicator” led to no action against Cull. This controversial call caused a stir, but Miami’s eventual win helped soothe that burn.