There's a good chance that the Miami Hurricanes would have beaten Notre Dame and remained undefeated had Malachi Toney not injured his ankle three days before the big game.

It's hard to deny the 19-year-old's reputation as the best player on the nation's No. 1 offense after the Hurricanes were held to just three points and Darian Mensah had just 74 passing yards at halftime. Miami rebounded in the second half, but still mustered a season-worst 370 yards with Mensah completing just under 56% of his passes, nearly 11 points below his previous low on the year.

Toney's Heisman Trophy run ended when he suffered a high ankle sprain Nov. 4 in practice. Coach Mario Cristobal said his surgery went well and that he's on track to return in time for the postseason "if we earn the right to go beyond" the regular-season finale at the end of November.

Toney's numbers even in a truncated 2026 season remain incredible. Entering Week 11, he's still second in the nation in receptions (73) and third in receiving yards (1,027) and touchdowns (13). Of all players to have seen at least 20 targets this season, Toney ranks third with an 88% catch rate, according to Pro Football Focus. He'd already tied the program's single-season record for TDs in just eight games.

Here's the latest on Miami's injuries, who's expected to play and which absences could impact the game. When will Malachi Toney play next?

Is Malachi Toney playing?

No. Toney got rolled up by a cornerback during practice Wednesday, Nov. 4, leading to a high ankle sprain. The sophomore had surgery last week to repair the ankle.

Toney has battled injuries throughout the season, briefly leaving games against Wake Forest on Sept. 18, Clemson on Oct. 3, Florida State on Oct. 17 and Pittsburgh on Oct. 24. He never went back to the locker room, though his limited play late against Wake can be explicitly tied to the offense's stagnation and one of their closest games of the season. And he was able to shake off his injury vs. Pitt en route to breaking his own Miami record with 16 catches for 194 yards and three touchdowns.

Latest Miami Hurricanes injury updates

The following players were listed as out for the Duke game as of Thursday, Nov. 12: WR Malachi Toney, WR Joshua Moore (out for season), RB CharMar Brown (out for season), DB Ja'Boree Antoine, DB O.J. Frederique, OL Max Buchanan, TE Luka Gilbert (out for season).

What Mario Cristobal said about Malachi Toney

In his news conference Sunday, Nov. 8, Cristobal said Toney had a chance of returning to play the last game of the season Nov. 28 against Boston College. "He's attacking the rehab like he wants to get back to play right away," he said Wednesday, Nov. 10, on his weekly show with Joe Zagaki and Don Bailey Jr. "He's gonna do everything possible to get back early, but we're on schedule, you know, like we talked about, 4-4½ weeks."

He also said that while safety Zechariah Poyser did not return after an injury late, "he is doing well" and should play regular snaps against Duke.

When will Malachi Toney return?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, high ankle sprains occur when the ligaments that attach the tibia to the fibula near the foot are torn or damaged. Recovery takes six to eight weeks, though the Clinic says it might take longer for athletes to return to play.

However, there is hope Toney can return sooner, with initial reports indicating he could return in time for the College Football Playoff. The first round of the CFP is Dec. 18-19, six weeks after his injury. If Miami regains one of the top four spots in the final CFP rankings (they're No. 7 heading into today's game against Duke), they would first play in the quarterfinals Dec. 30 or Jan. 1, about eight weeks after Toney's injury.

There's a chance Toney could return for the ACC championship game Dec. 5, three weeks from now. Former Notre Dame and current Arizona Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love suffered a high ankle sprain around the same time as Toney. Initial reports indicated he could return as soon as he comes off injured reserve for the minimum four weeks.

Who benefits if Malachi Toney is out vs Duke?

Darian Mensah hit his stride in the second half against Notre Dame by feeding a steady diet of looks to receiver Cooper Barkate (eight catches on nine targets for 94 yards and two touchdowns after halftime) and tight end Elija Lofton (7 of 11 for 107 yards, a TD and an interception). Expect those two to be the focus of the passing game again vs. Duke, especially considering Barkate's history with the Blue Devils. Lofton also ran in a TD the last time Miami played Duke in 2024.

Vandrevius Jacobs finished third on the team with 39 receiving yards against Notre Dame, while Daylyn Upshaw was third with three receptions (27 yards). Freshman Somourian Wingo saw 16 snaps on pass plays, according to PFF, while fellow freshman Milan Paris played five snaps. Tight end Gavin Mueller ran 10 routes and Israel Briggs had one.