The Florida Gators are gearing up for their Week 4 game against Mississippi State Bulldogs. The Gators will be vying for a victory after their 13-point loss to Texas A&M last weekend but with just a few hours left before the anticipated matchup, the program has been hit with headlines over its third-season HC Billy Napier’s future and the possible chance of players hitting the transfer portal.

The cornerback’s absence from the team was the biggest shocker for his fans and the Gators fanbase. His transfer from the Colorado Buffaloes was seen as a potential game-changer for Billy Napier and his defense. However, the Gators got a taste of their medicine, and they saw the impact of McClain’s absence in their first game against Miami. The fortunes of the team haven’t improved since then, with another two losses against Samford and Texas A&M, the latter of which registered Napier’s 16th loss in 28 games.

As of Monday, Napier clarified that there haven’t been any talks about his future after touting their loss to Texas A&M as “very disappointing and frustrating.” He pushed for what he wanted his player to do, that is, keep their head down and focus on what’s next. He continued, “That’s all we can control. Anything else is a waste of time.”

To add to that, Gators’ new admission Cormani McClain has been the talk of the town ever since they played their season opener. The first round of rumors started just one month after McClain committed to the Gators which suggested that he was booted from the their roster. Napier at that point in time, came out to shut down the rumors in small setting during the SEC Media Days. “He’s doing fine,” Napier said. “A lot of this gets blown out of proportion. He’s a young player. Obviously, we’re well aware of his history.”

Gators Illustrated reporter Cam Parker too posted on X just three days before the season opener stating, “I’ve seen some tweets joking that Cormani McClain and Andy Jean are not on the #Gators two-deep. Both have been injured in camp. Not a surprise they aren’t listed. Carry on with your Wednesday evening.”

It was exactly that same history—bad practice habits, unwillingness to study films, or arrive on meetings on time—that precedes McClain’s reputation from his time in Boulder that many believed to have had an influence on the Gators’ roster snub in the season opener against Miami. The defensive back, in a cryptic manner, insinuated Karmic justice being done as part of an IG story just 12 days after their 17-41 loss against the Hurricanes, stating, “I am being humble rn, but eventually everybody gotta pay.” 

When the season started, and McClain’s name was missing from the cornerback list, fans thought he was suffering from injury and he might be back in the second week. With Week 4 fast approaching, Napier and Co’s latest decision to keep Cormani’s name still out the depth chart has left many confused. And head coach’s silence disappointed fans, leaving them and the analysts speculating about what was going on behind the scenes.

So, what’s the latest on Cormani McClain? He was just seen visiting Glen Springs Elementary kids, stating, “Had a Great Time Coming out read books and Doing Q&A’s with Glen Springs Elementary kids. We had a great time Explaining to the kids what’s it’s like being a college athlete!” 

His mother reposted, saying, “Good job son.” As soon as the video was out on TS4T Sports Media, fans began flooding the comments section with supportive messages, which shows their love for the young player. Among McClain’s admirers, a fair section came from Colorado Buffaloes.

Buffs nation wants Cormani back

One fan wrote, “I wanna see this kid win so bad. I hope he gets it together because he have so much talent. Come back to Prime and lock all the way in next season.” The overwhelming support from his fans clearly highlights their belief in Cormani McClain’s potential. Despite McClain’s transfer from the Buffs amid discipline issues, there is no short of backing for the young man from the Buffs faithful. But despite the fact that the Buffs fan following wanting him back, it is to be noted that the issues once highlighted by Coach Prime saw similar undertones when Cormani arrived at the Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Just see what Napier had said back in July, a month after Florida showed interest although there wasn’t a scholarship waiting for him. Regardless, he walked on with the Gators. “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 (arriving on campus) a couple of 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.”

Another fan wrote, “I hope he get it together and get on that field it ain’t over bro u know what I did that got u in the situation I know u smart enough to know that u have to trust the process and clean some things up good luck young buck.“

The dominant feeling among the Buffs fans is that he should have never left the Buffaloes in the first place. Yes, he was struggling with the team, but just another season and it could have worked for him. But considering his rather public dig at the Buffs, and even stating that they play “for the clicks,” it is hard to imagine Cormani be back in Boulder any time soon. Still this fan did some wishful thinking, “I wished that Cormani had stayed at Colorado also. However, I also agree you can’t burn bridges because you never know when you may have to cross that bridge again. I wish Cormani much luck and success.”

We’re well into the Week 4 matchups, and Billy Napier has neither convinced the Gators’ fans nor McClain that he is the right person for the job. “Should have never left….i hope he has a plan because UF coach staff is cooked,” this one fan put it bluntly.

There are also fears that if it doesn’t work for McClain at the Gators, it could mean curtains for his career. A fan used the example of a relative to explain this. “I want this kid to win soooo bad. My nephew was once in this position before social media, he was number 2 in our city. Everyone had NFL dreams for him. My sister was putting a load of pressure on him as well… he went to college and shit went lefft. So bad, I watched how that affected him before he got his life on track. It was so bad.”

However, the program made its intention clear regarding McClain’s situation after the latter was left off the depth chart. Billy Napier and the Gators’ situation has worsened since then. While fans are disappointed with Billy Napier and his decisions, let’s see if they bounce back today or if the team will miss McClain’s presence. Till then, don’t miss out on the ES Think Tank episode with Doug Sanders and get the latest updates.