Anthony Wilson
Florida fans are probably quite familiar with the name Cormani McClain. The former five-star cornerback was once considered a great defender for the Gators before a quick recruitment led him to Colorado and Deion Sanders, where he spent a year before entering the transfer portal in search of a new home.
It turns out that that “new” house could be the one he already knows. McClain was on the Florida campus on May 10, according to Swamp247, and is scheduled to make an official visit to Florida midweek, May 14-16. If all goes well, the Gators could position themselves to land McClain for a second time — and as a replacement, at that.
“Florida’s scholarship roster is full heading into the summer, which could lead the Gators to add McClain as a walk-on and supplement their lack of scholarship via NIL, a move that would make their non-scholarship status a sort of of formality,” 247Sports Florida pundit Jacob Rudner told CBS Sports.
McClain is the highest-rated uncommitted player in the transfer portal, by 247Esportes. FLorida’s 2024 transfer class already ranks 10th overallwhich is a testament to the work head coach Billy Napier has done this offseason in reshaping his roster ahead of a tough schedule this fall.
After a rough start at Colorado that caused Sanders to publicly criticize McClain’s work ethic, the No. 1 corner in the 2023 class was thrust into a more prominent role and started four games late in the season due to mounting injuries at Colorado secondary. He produced 13 total tackles, one for loss and two pass breakups in his time on the field. McClain has become a transfer portal enigma and his lack of academic attention is certainly notable, but this would be an obvious sort of addition for Florida, as McClain still has the traits needed to become an all-conference performer.
“After this season, starting cornerback Jason Marshall will be out of collegiate eligibility and junior Devin Moore will be eligible for the draft, so Florida sees a unique opportunity to add depth at the cornerback position with McClain,” Rudner said. “With improved work ethic and off-field habits, McClain is viewed as a potential superstar and Florida is confident it can help him achieve that.”
MORE: Swamp247’s insider scoop on Cormani McClain’s visit to Florida
Examining McClain’s potential role in Florida
As mentioned by Rudner above, Florida likely wouldn’t count on McClain early on. 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 that coaches want in a modern cornerback. This background appears in his high school film, where he used to point the ball and bounce off an offensive player to come down 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.
