Photo: Cormani McClain; Credit: Conner Clarke
Lake Gibson (Fla.) 2023 cornerback Cormani McClain visited the Florida Gators three times over the summer and into the early fall as a priority target of former head coach Dan Mullen and his coaching staff.
McClain, the consensus No. 1 cornerback in the country in his class, continues to hear from the Gators, although it's no longer Mullen and Co. that he's in communication with. Instead, it is with new head coach Billy Napier and his halfway-assembled coaching staff that includes Corey Raymond as cornerbacks coach, who recruited McClain to LSU when he previously coached the Tigers.
Napier has ties to McClain through Lake Gibon head coach Keith Barefield, who served as an analyst on Napier's Louisiana support staff during the 2020 season.
"The new head coach, he's my head coach's friend from a long time ago in college," McClain told AllGators at the Under Armour All-American Bowl in Orlando, Fla. on Friday. "We've had conversations here and there, yeah."
McClain expressed to AllGators that, despite Florida changing coaching staff, he "most definitely" remains interested in UF as he enters his final season of high school football and his college decision approaches in the class of 2023. McClain including Florida alongside Alabama, Florida State, Miami, and Ohio State in his top five schools in November, but has reportedly scheduled a handful of visits with programs outside of his list.
McClain intends to get to know Napier and his staff during an unofficial visit to campus in January. "Probably the 20th," McClain told AllGators, around when Florida will be hosting official visitors for the weekend of January 21st.
Sports Illustrated All-American named McClain a top performer from April's Orlando (Fla.) Elite Underclassmen Camp. You can find analysis of his performance below,
One of a multitude of Lake Gibson recruits at the event, McClain commands the same respect as fellow Brave defensive back Sam McCall as well as Jyvonte McClendon (who was not in attendance on Sunday). A athletic freak, McClain recorded a jaw-dropping, camp-best 128-inch (10 feet, 8 inches) broad jump in addition to flashing as one of the top outside cover corners at the event.
McClain's first one-on-one rep came in the slot where he lost a step inside. That won't be his home at the next level, as the lengthy, 6-foot-1 defensive back is far more comfortable outside.
Moving to the boundary on his next rep, McClain showed patience in his mirror steps to force his receiver further outside than he intended to get. McClain quickly got his hip attached to the receiver and stuck to him down the sideline, utilizing his length to bar the receiver and slow him down without getting too touchy to draw a penalty. McClain utilized that leverage to get a step ahead of the receiver and prevent a deep reception. Few defensive backs at the camp were capable of making such a play.
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