No. 1 Miami may be without star receiver Malachi Toney for Saturday's game against No. 11 Notre Dame, but the team hopes to have him back for the postseason.
Sources tell CBS Sports that the early timetable expects Toney to miss four to six weeks after undergoing ankle surgery for a high-ankle sprain suffered in practice. The sophomore receiver will miss the rest of the regular season, but the Hurricanes hope he can return in time to chase a national championship.
Based on that timeline, Toney could be back for the ACC Championship Game. If Miami defeats Notre Dame, their remaining regular-season games are at home against Duke, Virginia Tech, and Boston College, making the conference title game potentially more risk than reward for Toney's recovery.
Even if his recovery takes six weeks, Toney would be healthy for the College Football Playoff, which begins Dec. 18. A top-four seed and first-round bye would push Miami's first playoff game to Dec. 30 at the earliest.
Before the injury, Toney led the ACC in receptions (73), receiving yards (1,027), and receiving touchdowns (13), building a strong Heisman Trophy case. In his absence, Duke transfer Cooper Barkate is the most obvious candidate to step up, while quarterback Darian Mensah continues his Heisman-caliber season with 25 touchdowns and one interception.
The matchup against Notre Dame remains one of the season's biggest games. Miami needs wiggle room with Toney sidelined for November, while the Fighting Irish seek a signature win after being ranked No. 11 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings.
