Cormani McClain reveals 11 schools he's heard from in transfer portal

Cormani McClain has no shortage of options in the transfer portal. Per On3’s Hayes Fawcett, the Colorado cornerback has heard from LSU, Oklahoma, Texas, Auburn, Texas A&M, USC, UCF, USF, Georgia, UCLA and Oregon.

In McClain’s lone season with the Buffaloes, he tallied 13 tackles and two passes defended. His playing time gradually increased throughout the season. McClain started in Colorado’s final three games of the 2023 campaign.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders attributed McClain’s increased time on the field to the freshman’s improved mindset.

“He’s been a lot more focused,” Sanders said. “A lot more understanding of the expectation and what we want from him — that we’ve challenged him tremendously all year long. He stood up to the task over the last, probably, week and a half.

“I’m really, really proud of Cormani. I really am.”

A product of Lakeland High School (Fla.), Cormani McClain was a five-star prospect and the No. 13 overall player from the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Despite McClain’s decision to move on from the program, Sanders is still rooting for him.

“I’m always in prayer for young men, and I want the best for them,” Sanders told DNVR on Wednesday. “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.”

Colorado faces mass exodus in transfer portal

Colorado has lost 34 players during or since the 2023 campaign. However, Sanders and Co. have also added 26 players, earning the No. 3 spot in On3’s Transfer Portal Team Rankings. On Thursday, Sanders addressed the program’s mass exodus in the transfer portal.

“I wish you guys do a little more homework when you start talking about the portal and understand what we losing, What are we losing? I got time today,” Sanders said. “What are we losing? Potential? Where? You haven’t been watching practice have you? We good. We’re good.

“I trust the recruiting team,” Sanders said. “I trust that coaches and please have some faith in me. We aight. We alright. What happens with the portal man, and you guys need to know, a lot of people are fighting for backups. When a guy is a starter and he transfers you got to really think about that. I mean, is he really that? I don’t know how many starters have really transferred around the country.”