Cormani McClain’s football career has been full of ups and downs with the drama starting during his high school recruitment. As the No.1 cornerback in the 2023 class, McClain was viewed as a Florida lean up until his commitment ceremony, where he shockingly pledged to Miami on October 27th, 2022. That wasn’t the end of the chaos, however. After not signing with the Canes during the early signing period, McClain flipped to Colorado nearly three months later, a school that wasn’t even in his original final three.
McClain’s freshman year in Boulder was far from ideal. The Lakeland, Florida native didn’t play as much as you’d expect, logging just 227 defensive snaps in a 4-8 season. Head Coach Deion Sanders asserted the issue was punctuality and preparation.
“Be on time for meetings,” Sanders said on what McClain has to do for more playing time. “Show up to the darned meetings. 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 on your own free time.”
There were also reports of McClain getting into heated altercations with Colorado safety Shilo Sanders, the son of Deion Sanders.
McClain’s play on the field didn’t warrant more playing time either. The undersized cornerback allowed 18 receptions for 380 yards on 25 targets. McClain’s biggest issue was his nine missed tackles, leading to 250 yards after the catch.
After a rocky rookie campaign, McClain decided to enter the transfer portal. While there weren’t many suitors given McClain’s well documented off the field issues, Florida took a shot on the young and talented cornerback, offering up a preferred walk on spot. McClain accepted, committing to Florida on May 15th, 2024.
The addition obviously came with some risk, but the potential reward was worth it given McClain’s elite athletic traits.
McClain ended up redshirting at UF in 2024, which really wasn’t a surprise given his walk on status. Early on in his Gators’ career, McClain dealt with a lot of the same issues he had at Colorado.
“When he first came here, I was kind of questioning him. When he actually got in, I noticed, like, this is bad. He’s missing everything. He’s always at 6 a.m. (runs). We gotta talk to him all the time,” edge rusher George Gumbs Jr. said on McClain.
Despite more struggles in year two, McClain attacked the offseason with determination and hard work, leading to critical development for the rising third year defender.
“Since we came back in January, I don’t know what it was, but it was a switch. He’s like, a totally different guy,” Gumbs Jr. added. “So he’s been working harder, you know, just working on this craft, working on his body. He looked great, great character, so I just love to have him around now.”
McClain has played a significant role on Florida’s defense in 2025 as one of the top three cornerbacks on the team, logging 136 snaps through four games. McClain earned his first start of the season and second with the Gators against LSU in week three. Although Florida lost the game, the effort McClain showed at the end of the game displayed the improvements we’ve seen from him both on and off the field. With the game essentially out of reach late in the fourth quarter, McClain ran down LSU running back Caden Durham before he could get into the end zone: the definition of a hustle play.
“I’m proud of Cormani,” Head Coach Billy Napier said postgame. “You know, he started in the game, he had a good week of practice. Again, we told you, we got three corners that we consider starters, all really good players. Devin, DD [Dijon Johnson] and Cormani continue to get better. I think they’re the best they’ve been in their careers, and I think they all three have shown maturity. Cormani had some discipline issues when he first got here and those have faded away. He’s still growing and maturing. There’s a high ceiling there. But the main thing is his attitude is where it needs to be, and he’s got the right mindset. So I’m proud of him. He’s talking a lot more, he’s communicating better. He’s presenting himself well, and I think he’s been a good teammate. And he’s just going to keep getting better, he’s still a very young man.”
One week later against Miami, the team he was committed to in high school, McClain was Florida’s highest rated defender, posting a Pro Football Focus grade of 84.9. The redshirt sophomore intercepted the only pass that was thrown his direction in the game.
“I’ve seen the hard work he put in, the extra field time with coach, just the extra little details that he really dialed in on and it’s showing,” teammate Devin Moore said on McClain.
With junior cornerback Dijon Johnson ruled out for the season due to injury, McClain is expected to take on an even larger role moving forward. The good news: McClain is looking like the first-round talent many thought he was out of high school. McClain has been targeted just five times in four games, allowing three receptions for 23 yards and no touchdowns.
McClain’s success off the field has translated to success on the field. His maturity, change in physical appearance, and elite athleticism put him on track to be a future star in the SEC.