Anthony Wilson
Florida landed a commitment from former Colorado transfer Cormani McClain. McClain is a former five-star cornerback and the No. 1 cornerback in the 2023 class, according to 247Sports. McClain still has three years of eligibility. McClain strongly considered Florida out of Lakeland (Florida) High School, but ultimately decided to join Deion Sanders in Colorado. He was ranked as one of the top five recruits in CU history.
However, his first season was marred by off-field problems, as Sanders publicly criticized McClain’s work ethic and stated that he rarely watched film. He played in nine games, but made just 13 tackles and two passes defended.
Despite the issues, McClain is ranked as the 21st player overall in the transfer class. His addition pushes Florida to the No. 8 overall transfer class with just 14 commits.
247Sports Florida Expert Jacob Rudner reports that McClain could arrive on campus as a walk-on as the Gators have all 85 scholarships filled. However, UF could use the NIL to fund his attendance at the school, making his assistant status more of a technicality.
Examining McClain’s potential role in Florida
Florida likely wouldn’t count on McClain from the start. The Gators return two solid cornerbacks: Jason Marshall, a former five-star prospect in his own right, and Devin Moore, a legitimate NFL Draft prospect who could climb the boards with a strong junior season.
Both are local options that have been solid for Florida over the past few seasons. The two combined for 14 pass deflections last season, and Moore gave the Gators their first turnover of the year when he intercepted a pass in an early-season upset win against Tennessee.
The Gators also have sophomore Ja’Keem Jackson, who the team is very excited about. He will likely see his role increase after playing 11 games as a true freshman.
Even with that depth at the top, this is a Florida pass defense that ranked ninth in the SEC, allowing 226.7 yards per game. A talent like McClain, who has superstar potential if he can put it all together, would raise the room’s ceiling and give the Gators a great option to not only build around for the future, but also to fall back on if the injury bug hits.
What McClain Could Bring to the Gators
The word with McClain is positive. There are a lot of questions about his off-field behavior, but McClain is one of those skilled prospects who has enough potential to ignore any drawbacks.
He began his high school career playing wide receiver, developing the ball skills coaches want in a modern cornerback. This background appears in his high school film, where he used to point the ball and jump at an offensive player to fall on a turnover or a broken pass.
McClain’s 6-foot-2 frame is ideal for a corner edge position and his long arms serve him well in the role. He also has elite speed and ran a laser-timed 4.5-yard dash and 40-yard dash as a freshman in high school, a time that has almost certainly decreased as he has aged and developed more through conditioning and the room. of bodybuilding.
He needs more technical development given his youth and the fact that he hasn’t played defense as long as most corners at the college level. This development comes naturally to those committed to a college program, and McClain has the word of an all-conference player if he can put it all together.
