When Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes swooped and got former five-star commit Cormani McClain to flip from Miami during the 2023 early signing period, the belief was he would team with Travis Hunter to form one of the nation’s top cornerback duos.
Cormani McClain Didn’t Pan Out
That never came to fruition with McClain never really holding up his end of the deal. There were grumblings about McClain’s attitude, lack of focus and lack of effort on many occasions.
The 2023 No. 1 ranked cornerback didn’t even see the field for the Buffaloes until Week 6, and even then it was met with great trepidation.
When 2024 spring football practice got underway McClain was nowhere to be found, and despite coaches saying all the right things, the writing was on the wall.
The relationship between McClain and the Buffaloes had run its course, so all we were waiting for was the announcement that he’d entered the transfer portal.
McClain Announces He’s Entering The Portal, Shades Coach Prime
Last week when McClain announced he was leaving Colorado, he made sure to exclude Deion Sanders in his exit letter.
This after telling Well Off Media at CU’s Pro Day that he’s “not transferring.” Just about a month later McClain had a change of heart and jettisoned from scenic Boulder in a flash.
Why Did Cormani McClain Leave Colorado?
Since his announcement, speculation has swirled as to what caused him to depart Colorado, and playing for arguably the greatest cornerback ever.
On Saturday, McClain took to YouTube in an attempt to shed some light on why he left.
“I feel like I just don’t wanna play for clicks,” McClain said. “I actually want to be involved with a great leading program that’s going to develop players.”
Sounds like a shot at Coach Prime and his very noticeable and highly exposed program. In fact, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning said the same thing prior to his team handing the Buffaloes their first loss last season (42-6) after a surprising (3-0) start.
But, something tells me it’s more to it than that with McClain, who was one of the players Coach Prime has repeatedly called out for not attending classes, team meetings and other things that they’re required to do as student-athletes on full scholarship.
Deion Wishes McClain Well
An unbothered Coach Prime sounded relieved that he doesn’t have to continue to try to get McClain to do the right thing.
In an interview via DNVR Buffs, Sanders had this to say:
“I’m always in prayer for our young men and I want the best for them. I pray to God that he goes to a program that challenges him, as well as holds him accountable and develops him as a young man. Unfortunately, we weren’t the program that could accomplish that. So, prayerfully, he understands that this is his second go-round and gets it. Go get it, man. He has a tremendous amount of talent, but he has to want it.”
Where To Next For McClain?
There’s reportedly been no shortage of suitors for the talented press-man cornerback, with the likes of LSU, Oklahoma, Texas, Auburn, Texas A&M, USC, UCLA, Georgia, Florida, USF and UCF all reaching out.
