Cormani McClain. The name alone brings back memories for Colorado Buffaloes fans, especially from the 2024 transfer portal. After all, he was the one who dragged Deion Sanders and his program through the mud when he left Boulder in search of a “real program.” Did McClain find what he was looking for? Luckily, yes.

Billy Napier’s Florida Gators seem to have filled all the gaps McClain encountered as an athlete in Deion’s program. And who’s been there for him through thick and thin? His mom, Kaishay, of course. The proud mom couldn’t contain her excitement any longer and poured her love and gratitude out on social media.

Cormani McClain has earned his stripes

The Buffs fans might remember what McClain’s farewell message was, word by word. On his YouTube channel, the No.1 recruit promised, “I’m just ready to bring the old version of me out and change the narrative of everyone’s thinking on my name. Be a part of a real and a great program that’s going to impact me at my best ability, and yeah, ready to get to a new place and get to work.”

A few days after that, even McClain’s mother’s tweet hinted at how her son did not get enough exposure under Deion. So she believed her son “gotta be somewhere where your appreciated and not just tolerated!!!” McClain finally joined Napier’s squad. Sadly, even with the Gators, the former 5-star recruit had a rocky start as he joined as a walk-on. FINALLY, the cornerback could now see the light at the end of the tunnel. And his mother is the happiest.

Just a year after onboarding the Gators, CB McClain has officially been put on scholarship. On January 23, Kaishay reshared the tweet from the Florida Gators and wrote, “God is amazing ♥️ Thankful for the whole staff at UF 🐊.” Now this is something that McClain truly deserved!

In his first season with Napier’s army, the cornerback, in just three games of action, came up with five tackles, one pass breakup, and one interception. Sadly, his rage was cut short due to an undisclosed upper-body injury. Do you remember McClain’s highlight feat against Kentucky?

He unleashed his true potential during the last minutes, gifting the Gators with a week eight victory where he recorded his first career interception. McClain then took it all the way back for a touchdown. And since he only played in 3 games, McClain redshirted and saved a year of eligibility. That means he still has three full years left to play, heading into 2025.

Meanwhile, we know that Napier’s program faces limited scholarship availability. So, McClain, being the 85th player on scholarship, seems to have officially earned his spot on the team. However, it has not been an easy ride.      

The story behind Cormani McClain’s ‘immature’ tag

Did you know that McClain was responsible for putting Napier on the hot seat? The pressure was so much on the HC that he was on the verge of losing his $52 million job. There has been a major issue with the cornerback’s code of conduct. McClain’s laid-back attitude and lack of discipline did land him in big trouble. 

On July 14, GatorsOnline and On3 senior writer Nick de la Torre shed light on the bumps that the athlete faced in Florida. He wrote, “I was told that Cormani McClain has been late to most of the requirements (meetings, lift, etc)… Essentially, you get a warning, then you have to do extra run/lift… which he’s showed up late to ask well.”

Obviously, this situation labeled McClain with a few tags, and he had to carry the weight of those labels. As the writer wrote, “You’re not going to be liked in the locker room if your tardiness/immaturity is causing the rest of your team to have to run…Just immature. Needs to grow up.”

Do you know what the issue with Cormani McClain was? The cornerback did not have any haters. However, the fact that he refused to put in any effort came off as harmful and contagious for his teammates. With this, he earned the “locker room cancer” tag. Finally, McClain has put the doubts to rest and has achieved the ultimate validation—a scholarship in hand!