Billy Napier addresses Cormani McClain’s status after rumors spread
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Billy Napier says that a rumor making the rounds on social media about a notable Florida addition out of the transfer portal is not accurate.
Napier was asked about Cormani McClain on Wednesday when meeting with reporters at SEC Media Days. An X account focusing on recruits from Polk County, Florida, an area that includes McClain’s native Lakeland, stated earlier this week that the former 5-star recruit was dismissed from the program before playing a down for the Gators.
“He’s doing fine. I think a lot of this has been blown out of proportion,” Napier said, per Scott Carter of the official team website. “I think he’s a young player. Obviously, we’re well aware of his history. Cormani’s a local kid from Lakeland. He’s got relationships with players on our team.
“We run a tight ship. There’s structure, there’s routine, there’s discipline, there’s accountability. It’s hard these days. You’re in the minority if you show up in June, much less middle of June, because you’re a couple weeks later. It is what it is. He’s had a great week so far this week. He’s gained 10 pounds. He’s learning expectations. He’s learning culture. He’s doing just fine. He’s going to be OK.”
Many in Gator Nation are breathing a sigh of relief with Napier’s comments, but it’s understandable why McClain rumors spread far and wide on message boards and social media platforms. McClain had a recruitment full of twists and turns and a rocky time in Colorado.
McClain was a 5-star prospect, rated the No. 1 cornerback and No. 13 player overall in the Class of 2023 on the 247Sports Composite. He picked up scholarship offers from 26 programs, with Florida, Alabama and Miami separating from the rest of the pack ahead of his initial commitment.
The Florida coaching staff, Gator recruiting insiders and national recruiting reporters were all expecting McClain to commit to the Gators at his Oct. 27, 2022 commitment ceremony.
Instead, McClain stunned the college football world, committing to Miami. Napier and his assistants were reportedly blindsided by McClain verbally committing to the Hurricanes.
McClain’s commitment to Miami, however, did not last. He disappointed the UM faithful by not signing in the December Early Signing Period. McClain extended his recruitment and eventually flipped to Colorado, signing to play for Deion Sanders’ program in February 2023.
At Colorado, McClain played in 9 games, including 4 starts, recording 13 tackles and 2 pass breakups.
During the season, Sanders called out McClain’s off-field work ethic. After Colorado lost to Oregon, Sanders was asked what he wanted to see from McClain.
“Study, prepare, be on time for meetings, show up to the dern meetings,” Sanders said. “Understand what we’re doing as a scheme. Want to play this game. Desire to play this game. Desire to be the best in this game, at practice, in the film room and in your own free time.”
McClain opted to hit the transfer portal after a season with Coach Prime. After the announcement, Sanders spoke highly of McClain’s talent, but said the sophomore would need to land in the right environment to mature.
“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,” Sanders said in an interview. “Unfortunately, we weren’t the program that could accomplish that. I pray that he understands that this is the second go around and go get it, because he has a tremendous amount of talent. But he has to want it.”
Whether because of Sanders’ comments or for other reasons, interest in McClain out of the portal was reportedly limited. Brandon Marcello of CBS Sports notes that USC and USF were programs that showed interest, but those recruitments never became serious. Florida also showed interest, but there was a catch this time around.
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McClain a surprise addition for Gators
McClain was a surprise addition to the Florida roster for multiple reasons. It was widely assumed he had burned his bridges with the UF coaching staff in his initial recruitment. It’s also unheard of for a 5-star recruitment to spend his sophomore season as a walk-on.
In the late spring months, the Gators were near the limit of 85 scholarships. They ended up adding more players than they had available scholarships.
McClain is now a walk-on at UF. NIL, of course, has changed things for walk-ons. McClain is reportedly being compensated via NIL to help with his tuition.
The chatter around McClain’s status suggested that the same issues Sanders referenced at Colorado were on display in Gainesville. While Napier’s Wednesday statement may be reassuring, many Florida fans will only buy into the McClain experiment once they see him on the field in orange and blue.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
