Colorado CB transfer Cormani McClain signs NIL representation

More than 10 days after officially entering the transfer portal, there has yet to be clarity on where Cormani McClain could land.

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 the second-best overall player available in the portal.

In an interesting wrinkle on Monday, McClain officially announced he had signed NIL representation. The 6-foot-2, 165-pound cornerback has signed with Disruptive Sports Agency and will be repped by Hector Rivas.

The move is notable given the current college football landscape. Booster-funded NIL collectives make or break programs when it comes to attracting and retaining talent. Sources have indicated that McClain has yet to take a portal visit. No institutions have emerged as schools to watch either.

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.

UCF and USF appear to be in the mix for McClain, however, sources have confirmed USC is not. Sources recently indicated to On3’s Steve Wiltfong that Utah could be an option but the Utes do not have any scholarships available.

“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.