GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The state of Alabama's Class 6A quarterfinal playoff game between Blount High School and Park Crossing is
one of those games that could grow to mythical proportions one day.
As is, what a game.
The November matchup at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery was billed as a showdown between two of the state's most dynamic playmakers:
Kadarius Toney of Blount and Park Crossing's Malik Cunningham.
No false advertising for this one as Toney and Cunningham were spectacular in Park Crossing's 54-51 victory.
Toney calls it the most memorable game of his career. You would too if you accounted for 601 yards of offense by passing for 493 yards and five touchdowns, and running for two scores and 108 yards. Meanwhile, Cunningham threw for 292 yards, four touchdowns and added 77 yards rushing.
Toney led the Leopards back from a 23-point deficit in the second half only to watch his high school career end on game-winning field goal by Park Crossing.
Three months later, Toney is at UF as one of five Gators to enroll early in preparation for the start of spring camp on Feb. 28. Louisville signed Cunningham after Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson hosted him on his visit to campus.
The Blount-Park Crossing playoff game is certain to be revisited should the Gators and Cardinals meet in coming years with Toney and Cunningham as prominent players.
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For now, the 5-foot-11, 180-pound Toney is an intriguing addition to the roster considering his versatility and prowess as a multi-threat prep quarterback in a primary spread offense. With Florida set to enter spring practice with only two scholarship quarterbacks from last season healthy in
Feleipe Franks and
Kyle Trask, Toney seeks a shot at the position to see where he fits. Many project him as a college receiver since Florida runs a pro-style offense.
Reporters asked Gators head coach
Jim McElwain about the plan for Toney at quarterback during his National Signing Day press conference.
"He is an athlete [on the roster],'' McElwain said. "But, yeah, he's going to play quarterback."
Ultimately, Toney is here because of his playmaking ability and success as one of Alabama's top college prospects the past two years.
He played quarterback, receiver and running back in high school, accounting for more than 120 touchdowns. He passed for 3,604 yards and 37 touchdowns as a junior and rushed for 896 and 16 touchdowns. Toney added 2,894 yards passing, 894 yards rushing and 47 touchdowns (32 passing and 15 rushing) his senior season.
Those showy numbers earned Toney the Alabama Class 6A Back of the Year honors, the second consecutive season the Gators have pulled a back of the year (
Lamical Perine in 2015) out of Alabama.
Oregon coach Willie Taggart came after Toney hard in the weeks leading up to National Signing Day but Toney remained committed to the Gators over offers from Auburn, Alabama and South Carolina among others.
Lev Holly, his high school coach, expects Toney to produce wherever he plays in college.
"I only see great things in his future,'' Holly
recently told AL.com. "With Kadarius' work ethic and mindset, he can't help but be successful. He can play a number of positions and, if he has to move to help the team, he won't have a problem with that. He just wants his opportunity to play the position he loves first."
Toney has a colorful personality and isn't afraid to take center stage. He has three alter-egos to help out once game time arrives: Batman (road games), Superman (home games) and The Joker (big games).
The Joker has a special place over his heart via a tattoo dedicated to the fictional supervillain.
Toney's path to a college scholarship began to become a reality prior to his junior year when South Alabama extended an offer. Others soon followed suit as Toney broke out his junior season at Blount, which is the alma mater of former Auburn quarterback Dameyune Craig and running back Sherman Williams, whom you may remember as Emmitt Smith's backup with the Cowboys in the mid-1990s.
Toney, who committed to the Gators in May 2016, turned 18 last month soon after arriving on campus to begin offseason conditioning drills with his new teammates.
Holly described Toney
as a unique player last fall prior to Blount's season.
"He's one of those guys who walks by faith and not by sight,'' Holly said. "He's a leader – he's one of those guys who can put it on his back."
Even in high school Toney dealt with position labels, often questioned how he viewed his future role in college.
"I don't really care,''
he told AL.com. "I obviously would prefer to play quarterback, but at the same time, it's good to know that I might have options out there if I get to a school and they have a quarterback or whatever the case may be. That doesn't bother me at all."
Former Ole Miss quarterback David Morris, who played with Eli Manning and was tutored in college by Duke head coach David Cutcliffe and former Gators offensive coordinator Kurt Roper, runs a quarterback training and development center in Mobile, Ala.. Toney grew up in nearby Eight Mile, Ala.
At the annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game in December, Morris told reporters Toney can be a successful dual-threat quarterback at the collegiate level.
"Kadarius is one of those guys,'' Morris said. "If Florida is looking for a guy like that, he could be their guy. The only issue is that Florida has traditionally been more of a pro-style offense so we will just see what happens. Either way, they've got a great player."
For a Florida offense in quest of more big-play threats, Toney is a welcome addition.
