Just one month after joining the Florida Gators, rumors were rife that Cormani McClain had been let go by the program. His discipline issues, which plagued his time in Colorado, were cited as the reason why the former five-star phenom was not going to be part of the team. But head coach Billy Napier brushed aside those rumors and showed his faith in the Gators’ system and McClain to deliver. As it turns out, the 20-year-old paid back his coach’s belief.

McClain’s time at the Buffs was dominated by issues off the field rather than his on-field exploits. Deion Sanders openly called him out and McClain even took parting shots at the program when he announced himself for the transfer portal. But all that seems to be in the past, with the Buffs players showing their support for their former teammate after he impressed in his Gators debut in the win over Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday.

Since joining the Gators, McClain was yet to make an appearance for the side, further fueling rumors of any issues. But when injuries against the Wildcats forced Napier to turn to McClain, he came in clutch. Coming on in the game, he collected his first career interception when he picked off Kentucky quarterback Cutter Boley and with just over three and a half minutes remaining on the clock.

His teammates wildly celebrated with him and the entire Florida defense received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. But the celebrations weren’t limited to the Ben Hill Griffin stadium.

Keeping the celebration mode alive on Tuesday, Cormani McClain took to his official Instagram account to share snippets from his much-awaited debut, writing, “Block party in the s🐊p.”  Soon enough his former Colorado Buffs teammates came out to support his big moment.

Buffs safety player Travis Jay posted an eagle emoji in the comments section of the post. Two-way star, Travis Hunter chimed in and posted “👾” emoji. Hunter and McClain did form a bond during their brief stint in Boulder. Last year in one of the training sessions in Colorado, Hunter was seen sharing some game insights and tips with the CB to which he listened keenly.

Also during a game against Utah, when McClain got into a heated situation with opposing players, Hunter pulled the then-freshman away from the scene, protecting him from further trouble. Since his departure, McClain has also shown his support for the two-way star on Instagram.

When Hunter dropped a glimpse of his next vlog on Instagram on September 30, which carried snippets of his performance in the win over UCF, McClain was quick to comment  “RL,” which stands for “real life,” to hype his former teammate.

Meanwhile, Colorado’s star wide receiver Omarion Miller commented on McClain’s post with a hand-shaped heart emoji. Certainly, it’s a well-deserved hype moment for Cormani McClain. Cormani ended the night with a tackle, the pick-six, and a pass defended, to go along with his interception.

McClain came on for Jason Marshall Jr. who had to leave the field in the third quarter after being involved in a tackle along the sideline. The coaches turned to McClain and he grabbed the chance with both hands.  With this win, the Gators snapped a three-game losing streak and coach Napier couldn’t be happier. The coach has been vindicated after showing confidence in McClain at the start of the season.

Billy Napier on Cormani McClain’s performance against Kentucky

At the start of the season rumors that Napier was not happy with Cormani’s behavior were gathering pace. It was also reported he was also not listed on the team’s depth chart. All of this pointed straight at their bitter reality and also raised concern regarding McClain’s position in the team. However, his appearance and performance against the Wildcats dispelled any worrying notions.

Head coach Billy Napier praised his performance against Kentucky and also revealed his high hopes for his future, saying, “I think, ultimately, he’s matured to clean himself up a little bit, and he’s a rookie. So, yeah, I think you got to continue to do what you’re supposed to do. Good things will happen.”

But Napier also threw caution to the wind and insisted that the player could improve further. “So the guy, he’s got a long way to go. Let’s, don’t put the crown on the guy’s head right now. But he stepped up. Guy got injured and he was able to go in there and do his job in a critical moment. He’s got great instincts. I think there is more room for growth. That’s what I would say,” Napier said.

For now, Cormani enjoys the bye week and will train well to take full advantage of it, as the team is going to face the Georgia Bulldogs next. It will be interesting to see how Cormani performs for Florida in their upcoming games.