Deion Sanders provides update on availability of Cormani McClain, Alton McCaskill

Colorado coach Deion Sanders offered an update on cornerback Cormani McClain and running back Alton McCaskill on Tuesday. Both players missed the Buffaloes’ season-opening win against TCU, and it appears they still have work to do to get game-ready.

Sanders began with a brief update on McClain, the No. 1 cornerback in the 2023 cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. Despite his highly touted status as a recruit, he was listed with the third-string on Colorado’s Week 1 depth chart.

“Cormani has to be ready,” Sanders said. “He has to get ready to play.”

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The coach then moved on to McCaskill, a transfer from Houston who missed all of the 2022 season after tearing his ACL last spring. He has worn a no-contact jersey since the start of fall camp and has yet to get to a point where the team feels comfortable with him taking hits in practice.

Still, Sanders described him as “close” to being ready, saying he tried to take the jersey off himself Tuesday.

“McCaskill, he’s close,” the coach said. “He was mad today because he took it upon himself to take his gold jersey off himself and we didn’t tell him to. I’m like, ‘I don’t want you hit in practice. I want you to make it to the game.’ But he wants it so bad. He wants it right now.

“We’re going to monitor him and see. I wanted to take him (to Fort Worth) but he shouldn’t have dressed out because I wasn’t gonna play him. But the kid wants to play right now and we’ve gotta make sure he’s ready.”

It seems Sanders is at least considering the possibility that McCaskill could be ready for Week 2. However, it’s concerning he hasn’t gotten to a point where he can handle contact. The running back rushed for 961 yards and 16 touchdowns, a program record, as a true freshman in 2021 with the Cougars.

McCaskill was listed as a co-starter along with true freshman Dylan Edwards ahead of Week 1, so he should be used heavily once healthy. Edwards was impressive in his college debut, finishing with five catches for 135 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 24 yards and another score.

Colorado is set to kick off against Nebraska at 10 a.m. MT on Saturday at Folsom Field in Boulder.