Why Cormani McClain is a worthy gamble for Billy Napier, Gators
Quick: Without looking, how many former 5-star prospects are currently on Florida’s 2024 roster?
(I’ll let the question marinate for a second)
Hint: You can count the number on one hand and you don’t need all five fingers.
The answer is three, which is less than the number of preseason Top 10 teams on UF’s 2024 schedule.
Two of those players are true freshmen who have never taken a collegiate snap (quarterback DJ Lagway, pass rusher LJ McCray). The lone former 5-star recruit who has played for the Gators is corner Jason Marshall. The Miami native has had a solid first two seasons for UF, and there’s hope he could emerge as a potential 1st-round pick this fall.
He might even have more help now, too.
Florida added one more 5-star to its current ledger Wednesday, as Colorado transfer cornerback Cormani McClain committed to the Gators following a tumultuous 2023 season with the Buffs.
The former Lakeland (Fla.) star was the No. 1 corner in the 2023 class, and heavily considered Florida and Miami before spurning the two in-state schools for Deion Sanders. The move across the country didn’t work out, though, as McClain struggled to see the field early and then was publicly criticized by Sanders for his work ethic and poor study habits.
He finished the season with just 13 tackles and two pass breakups.
McClain clearly has some maturing to do, but he isn’t a bad apple. And while a fresh start back in the Sunshine State isn’t guaranteed to work out, this was a perfectly sensible bite for Billy Napier and the Gators to take.
What Cormani McClain could provide for Florida
The Gators are over the 85 scholarship limit, so McClain is reportedly coming to the program as a preferred walk-on. With the availability of NIL though, this is mostly just a technicality since his schooling can be paid for through other means.
Still, this is a free roll for Napier, who knows he needs to infuse Florida’s roster with as much talent by any means necessary.
So it’s low-risk, with the possibility of a high reward.
McClain was a bust at Colorado, but that doesn’t mean he can’t — or won’t — flourish at UF.
The raw potential is there, and Florida has a need for playmakers in the secondary.
Typically, 6-2 guys with elite ball skills aren’t available.
McClain didn’t start playing corner until he was a sophomore in high school, and he picked off 10 passes in his first season on defense. He has top-percentile size and testing numbers (laser-timed 4.5-second 40-yard dash). In high school, McClain wasn’t afraid to throw his slight frame into contact as a willing tackler.
In a sport that continues to lean more and more on traits, McClain has upside in spades. It’ll be up to Florida’s program infrastructure (from the on-field staff to off-field support) to make sure McClain maximizes that ability.
If that happens, the Gators might’ve landed an impact transfer — be it in 2024 or beyond — that could really help their football team.
While Marshall and fellow Florida native Devin Moore are solid SEC corners, UF’s secondary wasn’t any good in 2023.
The Gators finished ninth in the league in pass defense. They recorded just three interceptions — DEAD LAST nationally — and ranked 119th in the country in yards per attempt allowed (8.3). They were gashed by explosive plays, surrendering 20 pass plays over 40 yards — second-worst in the country.
McClain certainly won’t solve Florida’s recent issues in the secondary independently. He might not even contribute in 2024. Still, it’s a worthy bet for Napier to take for the future.
“(I’m going to) bring the old version of me out and change the narrative of what everyone’s thinking of my name, be part of a real and a great program that’s going to impact me at my best abilities,” McClain said in a YouTube video announcing his transfer from Colorado.
If McClain buys in and develops into the prospect many believed him to be just this time a year ago, then Florida, a program needy for raw talent, got a free 5-star on the house.
For a head coach and program desperate for Ws, that’s good business.