What is up with Cormani McClain? After all the drama between him and Deion Sanders, people thought that his leaving the Colorado Buffaloes and joining the Florida Gators would do him good. Things may have not turned out the way we expected because Billy Napier has decided to ditch his new cornerback!

On August 28, the Gators released their depth chart for their season opener against Miami, and as you might have already guessed, Cormani McClain’s name was missing from the cornerback lineup. What’s the reason behind this?

Well, it was already expected that Jason Marshall Jr. would be the starter this year. He has been with the team for two seasons and is a solid choice. Last year’s elite 4-star recruit, Ja’Keem Jackson, is also on the list after seeing action in 11 games last season. Devin Moore and Johnson Dijon, who have proven their worth, made it to the list as expected.

“That’s more of an organizational chart than a depth chart,” Napier said about the chart. “I’m really proud of our team and I believe in our team… We’ve had a terrific offseason and very impressed with all phases we’ve been through.”

Further, freshmen like Teddy Foster, and Grimsley Jameer made it to the list. Back in July, Napier didn’t give any hints about this decision regarding McClain. However, there were rumors about his alleged misbehavior in the new team, too. When asked about McClain’s behavior, Napier simply said, “He’s doing fine. I think a lot of this has been blown out of proportion.” Yet now, he’s left him out of the crucial do-or-die game against the Miami Hurricanes.

With both teams being Florida-based, the rivalry is quite intense, and McClain is definitely going to miss the adrenaline. Should he have stayed with the Buffs after all?

Cormani McClain missed a ‘prime’ opportunity

Cormani McClain made headlines, not for his plays, but for throwing shade at Deion Sanders after entering the transfer portal. The former Buff left the team this spring and didn’t hold back when talking about his decision. “I feel like I just don’t want to play for clicks. I actually want to be involved with a great-leading program that’s going to develop players,” he said.

His words were a bit off, but his frustration was clear. He only played in 9 games for the Buffs last year, starting in just 4 of them, and managed a modest 13 tackles. Well, he at least got some play time though!

But hoping for even better opportunities, the 5-star McClain, joined the SEC’s Florida Gators, only to be snubbed by them in Week 1. If he had stayed with the Buffs, he might have shined alongside two-way star Travis Hunter.

Even former Buff Matt McChesney pointed this out, saying, “This kid [Cormani] is dumb that he could have been the other side of Travis Hunter. You know how many balls you’re going to pick, tip, and play?” True enough! And after Hunter leaves for the NFL in 2025, McClain would have been in the spotlight.

Maybe Deion Sanders was smart to let McClain go, or maybe McClain was too hasty to leave. We will never know. However, what we do know is that there is a bit of bad blood here. Well, it looks like fans will have to wait some more time before they can see Comani McClain shine. What do you think?