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Writer's picturePatrick Dawson

REPORT: Deion Sanders’ top recruit Cormani McClain hitting the transfer portal



BOULDER – Cormani McClain will enter the transfer portal ahead of the 2024 football season, per On3 Sports


The former consensus five-star recruit out of high school in Lakeland, Florida is one of the biggest names on the Colorado Buffaloes. McClain was the No. 1 cornerback in the class of 2023 and the No. 2 recruit in the nation, according to 247Sports Composite.


Despite McClain’s star play preceding his time at CU, he was mostly absent from the field during his freshman season. McClain was mostly a special teams player and saw some action during blowouts throughout the first handful of games.


Head coach Deion Sanders lit up the media world when he called out the top prospect, saying he needed to do a better job off the field to actually get on the field.


“Study. Prepare. Be on time for meetings,” Sanders said this past September about McClain’s lack of playing time. “Show up to the durn meetings. Understand what we’re doing as a scheme. Want to play this game…Desire to be the best in this game at practice, in the film room, and on your own free time. You do know that I check film time for each player… and that’s not about just Cormani, that’s about a multitude [of players]. So if I don’t see that, you would be a fool to put somebody out there and they’re unprepared.”


McClain did seem to turn a corner, getting some starts later in the season.


"He's been a lot more focused,” Sanders said following McClain’s start versus Arizona, "a lot more understanding of the expectation in what we want from him, that we've challenged him tremendously all year long."


McClain made four starts for the black and gold, appearing in nine games total as a freshman. He recorded 13 tackles and two pass breakups and even came down with an interception off of Caleb Williams before it was called off due to a penalty.


Rumors of his entering into the portal had been swirling since he was called out by Coach Prime, with many holding the belief that a high-profile player such as McClain would not appreciate being put on blast in front of national media. 


Until now, however, nothing had come to fruition. Multiple sources have said that McClain had not been participating in on-field practice, citing grades as the cause. He was still in the building participating in strength and conditioning workouts as recently as last week, but for now, his sights are set on a new opportunity. 

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