Malachi Toney’s breakout freshman season and CJ Daniels’ solid performance have formed the backbone of the Hurricanes’ passing attack this year.

But as the season progresses, more wide receivers are entering the mix for No. 9 Miami (6-1, 2-1 ACC) as they prepare for their Saturday road matchup at SMU (5-3, 3-1 ACC).

“I feel like in the receiver room Coach (Kevin Beard) preaches … ‘Stay ready so you don’t got to get ready,’” wide receiver Tony Johnson said. “Your opportunity is going to present itself. You’ve got to do everything in your power — practice hard, watch tape, and go the extra mile — so when the opportunity presents itself, you’ll be ready.”

Johnson, a transfer from Cincinnati, made the biggest impact in UM’s win over Stanford, notching a season-high 69 yards on three catches. He played a season-high 27 offensive snaps and led Miami with an 88 offensive grade from Pro Football Focus. Offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said Johnson had been excelling in practice, and he wanted to get the veteran on the field.

“My role is whatever the coaches need me to do,” Johnson said. “I could play outside. I could play inside. But I’m a team-first guy. I want to see the Miami Hurricanes win the football game, so (if) they need me on kickoff return, outside, inside, that’s what I’m going to do for the team, no matter what.”

Freshman receiver Josh Moore also made an impact against the Cardinal. He played 28 snaps, which was his highest total against an FBS opponent this season. Moore, a West Broward alum, had four catches for 38 yards, earning a 69.6 offensive grade from PFF.

Miami also got sophomore Jojo Trader into the mix. The Chaminade-Madonna alum played a season-high 22 snaps, though he was not targeted for a pass.

“Getting Josh and JoJo in there, they didn’t get too many touches, but again, the coverage dictated that,” quarterback Carson Beck said. “But getting to see all those guys on the field is always good, and having a lot of guys that can contribute is helpful for us as an offense.”

UM coach Mario Cristobal said the coaching staff saw a lot of improvement from those receivers in recent weeks, which helped them earn more time on the field.

“Now we’ve got to carry all that consistency over to the game because the details of that position nowadays, especially in some of those condensed formations or in some of the plays that bring an extra guy in the box, those guys are responsible for a lot,” Cristobal said. “It’s more than just running around, catching the ball. So alignment assignment’s important, splits are important, footwork’s important. We saw a lot of progress, a lot of promise in all those guys, and we expect their roles to continue to increase and then to continue to get better.”

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/10/30/hurricanes-receivers-depth/