As a high school prospect, many believed that defensive back Cormani McClain would commit to and attend Florida. Which was followed by a commitment to Miami, backing out of his initial signing day with the Hurricanes, and flipping his commitment to Colorado. Where he spent his true freshman season last year before entering the transfer portal.
McClain is now committed to the Gators, returning to his home state for a fresh start ahead of the 2024 season. A fascinating journey that Gators Online‘s Nick de la Torre detailed Wednesday during Andy Staples On3.
“I think Cormani McClain, everyone wanted him,” de la Torre said reffering to McClain’s high school recruitment. “The allure of McClain being a defensive back like Cormani McClain and playing for, in my opinion, probably the best defensive back to ever play football in Deion Sanders ultimately won out over Miami and over Florida.”
“He’s a kid who’s very close to his mom, he’s from Orlando, and I think when you get out to Colorado, they don’t really have a culture. Deion’s a first-time Division I head coach, they’re building a culture,” de la Torre added. “You get out there and there’s not really direction, you’re far away from home, all of a sudden there’s this really cold white stuff falling from the sky in November. You’re like what is this? I think it’s a culture shock.”
As a true freshman with the Buffaloes, McClain appeared in nine games and made four starts (including the last three games of the season) where he recorded 13 tackles and two pass breakups. But after his transfer portal recruitment didn’t necessarily match the magnitude of high school recruiting process, de la Torre believes it served as an awakening for the young cornerback.
“Then I think when you decide to leave, that market everyone wanted you when you were a senior in high school, when you were a junior in high school everyone wanted you. And I think when you get into that market and all of a sudden the phone’s not ringing the same way, the coaches aren’t talking to you the same way, I think it’s a little humbling,” de la Torre said. “And he’s going to walk on at Florida, now listen, we say that and it is true. There will be a scholarship waiting for him in December when there’s a little more roster flexibility than there is right now. But I think it’s a humbling experience.”
Following his entry into the transfer portal McClain released a video explaining his decision that likely didn’t help his recruitment process. Saying that he didn’t want to ‘play for the clicks’ referring to Colorado and instead be involved with a ‘great leading program’. As he’ll now look to change the narrative surrounding him at a familiar program.
“We’re not talking about a kid who’s getting in trouble with police, or getting arrested, or anything like that. Maybe just some immaturity. Florida feels like they’ve in the three years built a culture and a structure inside their program that as my colleague Zach Abolverdi wrote can probably help Cormani more than Cormani can help them,” de la Torre said.
The former five-star prospect was one of the top overall players in the 2023 recruiting class with undeniable talent. And given his football journey up to this point and his new destination, it will surely be fascinating to see what the rest McClain’s career holds for the Gators.
“And I don’t know that he’ll be thrown into being a starter right away, you have Jason Marshall and Devin Moore, when he’s healthy, starting at cornerback. So I think Cormani is in Florida’s mind a low-risk, high-reward play,” de la Torre said. “You get a former five-star who could be a potential draft pick down the road at little risk to you.”
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