On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine: Florida takes huge lead for Cormani McClain

Lakeland (Fla.) Five-Star Plus+ cornerback Cormani McClain announced last night that he will make his college commitment decision next Thursday, Oct. 27.

He is down to Alabama, Florida and Miami in his recruitment, but the Gators are now considered the major favorites by the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine. It gives Florida a 94.9 percent chance of securing his commitment, buoyed by three expert predictions in for Florida, including one from On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons.

“Florida is in a good spot for Cormani,” Simmons said recently. “Florida is a school close to home, his high school has sent numerous players to Florida and he is very comfortable in Gainesville. Also, he and his family like cornerbacks coach Corey Raymond. But Alabama, they’re not going to go away. They’re still heavily involved and working to get him back on campus if not for an official, then definitely an unofficial.”

RPM was released to the public in December. The On3 engineering group teamed up with Spiny.ai to create the industry’s first algorithm and machine learning-based product to predict where athletes will attend college. 

It factors in machine learning, social sentiment, visits and historical trends. However, expert predictions are still a big piece of the RPM equation.

The On3 Consensus — a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies — has McClain as the No. 2 overall recruit, No. 1 cornerback and No. 1 player from the state of Florida.

McClain is one of six Five-Star Plus+ players in the 2023 cycle along with New Orleans Isidore Newman quarterback Arch Manning, Los Alamitos (Calif.) quarterback Malachi Nelson, Las Vegas Bishop Gorman wide receiver Zachariah Branch, Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa and Katy (Texas) Paetow  defensive lineman David Hicks.

Cormani McClain Scouting Summary

“Has the best combination of stature, athleticism and ball skills among cornerback prospects in the 2023 cycle. Measured over 6-foot-1 prior to his junior season and has posted some of the best testing numbers in a combine setting we’ve seen from prospects in his cycle. A twitchy, bouncy athlete with explosive movement patterns. Pairs that athleticism with high end skill on the field. Has proven to be a ballhawk defender with nine interceptions as a sophomore and five picks midway through his junior season.

…Uses his quickness to stay in-phase with receivers off the line and long speed to turn and run downfield. Highly instinctual and plays fast. Breaks on the ball quickly. Comfortable playing off and press coverage. Doubles as a receiver, which aids in his ball skills and coordination. Would be a four-star type talent at receiver if he chose. Has a thinner frame at 165 pounds and will need to continue adding bulk. Older for the class.” — Charles Power, On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings