Touted DB Cormani McClain will transfer to Florida Gators
Cormani McClain, once a heralded recruit in the 2023 class who signed with Colorado but left that program after one season, has committed to the Florida Gators as a transfer, per Pete Nakos of On3.
McClain will head to Florida as a preferred walk-on because the program is at the scholarship capacity, but his addition is significant as the Gators look to improve their play on the back end of the defense. He will have three years of eligibility.
He visited the Gators last Friday, then again this week, beginning Tuesday.
For Florida coach Billy Napier, this is one of his program’s biggest transfer portal pickups to date.
McClain, a 5-star recruit two cycles ago, was the No. 1 corner in the country and No. 13 overall recruit for the On3 Industry Rankings in high school when he played at Lakeland (Fla.).
Cormani McClain was one of top players in the transfer portal
Now listed at 6-foot-2 and 165 pounds, he is the No. 22 player in the On3 transfer portal rankings and the No. 2 cornerback. McClain played in six games for the Buffaloes last season — and finished with 13 tackles, six solo stops and two pass break-ups.
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He entered the NCAA transfer portal in April.
“I’m always in prayer for young men, and I want the best for them,” Colorado coach Deion Sanders told DNVR. “And I pray to God that he goes to a program that challenges him as well as holds him accountable and develops him as a young man. Unfortunately, we weren’t the program that could accomplish that. So prayerfully that he understands that this is his second go-around and get it. Go get it, man. Because he has a tremendous amount of talent, but he has to want it.”
McClain’s journey to being a Florida Gator had many twists and turns.
At times in his recruitment, Florida seemed like the program to beat. But then McClain committed to Miami in October of 2022. Soon after, DeMarcus Van Dyke, then a Hurricanes staffer heavily involved in McClain’s recruitment, posted a photo on X (the app formerly known as Twitter) of himself holding an alligator in a dig at Florida.
But McClain ultimately shunned the ‘Canes, too.
He never signed with Miami that December in a surprising move, then picked Colorado the following February. Now, McClain will suit up for the Gators and in an ironic twist of fate his first game will be against Miami on Aug. 31 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
In recruiting, you never say never.
And at long last, Cormani McClain will be a Gator.
