Colorado CB transfer Cormani McClain eyeing decision in next few weeks

Colorado transfer Cormani McClain is aiming to decide on his future in the next week or two.

A source told On3 on Wednesday the cornerback is communicating with nine schools across the Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC and has received significant interest since entering the portal more than 10 days ago. The current plan in McClain’s camp is to arrive at a commitment decision in the next 1-2 weeks.

UCF and USF were teams mentioned at the onset of McClain’s portal recruitment. USC is not expected to be in pursuit of the cornerback. Sources recently indicated to On3’s Steve Wiltfong that Utah could be an option but the understanding is the Utes do not have any scholarships available.

The former five-star recruit flipped his commitment from Miami to Colorado in January 2023. Just over a year later, the top-15 prospect in the 2023 class is looking for a new home. He’s currently ranked as the top overall player available in the portal.

Cormani McClain showed improvement through 2023 season

The cornerback can play immediately and has three years of eligibility remaining. The No. 13 overall recruit in the 2023 class, McClain committed to Miami before flipping to the Buffaloes in January 2023. One of Deion Sanders’ biggest recruiting wins, the No. 1 cornerback played in nine games and started just four as a true freshman this past fall. He tallied 13 total tackles and two pass breakups.

“Study and prepare,” Sanders told reporters in September 2023 when asked what McClain needed to improve on to see more playing time. “Be on time for meetings, show up to meetings. Understand the scheme. I check film time from each player so I can see who’s preparing, so if I don’t see that, you would be a fool to put somebody out there who’s not prepared. That goes for all our players.”

From that point, Cormani McClain continued to cut out playing time towards the end of the season. He started in Week 6 against Arizona State. Sanders was complementary in November, praising the cornerback for focusing on practice and preparation.

He started the final three games of the season, against Arizona, Washington State and Utah, allowing 18 catches for 380 yards the 25 times he was targeted in coverage, according to Pro Football Focus.