
AI-generated summary
Malachi Toney had a historic freshman season with 1,211 receiving yards, 10 touchdowns, and 109 receptions, setting a school reception record. Miami underwent a quarterback transition from Carson Beck to Darian Mensah, a Duke transfer, prior to the season opener.
Miami's Malachi Toney launched his Heisman Trophy campaign Friday night by setting a school record with 234 receiving yards and tying a program record with three touchdowns grabs during No. 7 Miami's 45-6 drubbing of Stanford. The sophomore phenom reeled in 12 of his targets and totaled 95 yards after the catch during a head-turning performance.
Toney struck the Heisman pose several times while running wild through the Cardinal secondary. Who could blame him? The 5-foot-11 speedster looked poised to build on a historic freshman season in which he amassed 1,211 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns while setting a school record with 109 receptions.
Any questions over whether Toney's prolific production would continue following Miami's quarterback transition from Carson Beck to Darian Mensah dissipated almost immediately. The Mensah-Toney duo demonstrated nearly perfect chemistry from the jump. Miami's first play from scrimmage was a 48-yard connection between the two.
In fact, Mensah found Toney with his first three passes. The third was a 23-yard touchdown strike less than three minutes into the game. Mensah totaled five touchdowns and 412 yards passing in his Miami debut. The Duke transfer completed 27 of 30 passes and never had any trouble finding his new top target.
College football picks: Predictions against the spread, odds, betting lines for top 25 games in Week 1
Brandon Marcello
Toney showcases speed, skills vs. Stanford
Toney's final touchdown grab was emblematic of his night. Lined up in the slot, he found himself matched up with a Stanford linebacker. Mensah detected the mismatch and lofted a perfectly thrown ball over the top. Toney ran under it and accelerated into the end zone as the Hurricanes put an exclamation mark on a dominant season-opening performance.
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Malachi Toney will be a leading Heisman Trophy candidate by midseason if he maintains his current production level.
Likely · Within weeks
Darian Mensah will remain Miami's starting quarterback for the remainder of the season.
Very likely · Within weeks

SportsLine's computer model has generated Week 1 college football score predictions and betting picks, projecting Penn State to beat Marshall 37-12 and highlighting notable games like Clemson vs. LSU and Auburn vs. Baylor, while promoting affiliated promo codes for DraftKings and Kalshi.

Week 1 of the 2026 college football season features key matchups including LSU vs. Clemson, California vs. UCLA, and Oregon vs. Boise State, with SportsLine's model projecting LSU to cover as a 10-point favorite, Cal to cover as a +2.5 underdog, and the Under 51.5 to hit in the Oregon-Boise State game, based on 10,000 simulations.

SportsLine's predictive model has released its 2026 Fantasy football rankings, highlighting sleepers like Alec Pierce, breakouts like Jaxson Dart, and busts like Kenneth Walker III, while promoting its Premium membership and past prediction accuracy ahead of the Patriots-Seahawks season opener.

LSU omitted former Ole Miss players Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris from its roster submitted to the College Sports Commission, despite a court injunction allowing their inclusion, following intense SEC pressure over rules banning former professional players; the move leaves two roster spots open and averts potential expulsion or forfeiture, though tensions remain high over the conference's self-governance authority.

The 2026 college football Week 1 schedule includes 90 FBS games, highlighted by Lane Kiffin's LSU debut against Clemson and Ole Miss vs. Louisville, with SportsLine's model providing betting picks based on 10,000-game simulations and transfer portal adjustments.

BetMGM promotes its bonus code CBSSPORTS offering new users up to $1,500 in bonus bets alongside college football best bets for Week 1, featuring expert picks on Florida vs. Florida Atlantic Under 59.5, Western Michigan +28.5 vs. Michigan, and Clemson +10.5 vs. LSU, with a projected parlay payout of +590.