Cormani McClain has emerged as one of Florida's top young players. (Photo: Jordan Perez/UAA Communications)
McClain's Turnaround A Bright Light For Gators
Thursday, October 2, 2025 | Football, Scott Carter
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By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Out of the darkness that has engulfed the Florida football team early in the 2025 season, a beam of light has emerged from the shadows.
To many, the source of that glow seems as unlikely as Florida's 1-3 start.
Not too long ago, he was considered a troubled cause, a rule-breaker, a player on the verge of being a has-been before he was even an upperclassman. The tone has changed.
"His attitude is where it needs to be,'' Gators coach Billy Napier said. "He's got the right mindset. I'm proud of him."
No one ever questioned McClain's talent. He made a name for himself at Lakeland High as a ball-hawking defensive back with natural physical gifts. He had speed, length, toughness, athleticism, all the buzz words that fill the scouting report of a five-star recruit.
What he lacked was discipline.
The signs were there long before McClain joined the Gators in May 2024. He committed to Miami and later changed his pledge to the Gators. But when the early signing period arrived, McClain did not sign. He ended up at Colorado, wooed by head coach Deion Sanders, one of the greatest cornerbacks to play the game.
"Coach Deion actually called me signing day, 5 a.m.," McClain said. "We chatted up and I got out there three days later for a visit, and I was like, 'Try this on.' "
He did. The fit was off. Way off.
Reports surfaced that McClain and Sanders did not get along, that he was unpopular in the locker room, frustrating his teammates and coaches with his lack of preparation and focus.
McClain owns it.
Cornerback Cormani McClain braces for his return to the turf after his interception in the Miami game. (Photo: Madilyn Gemme/UAA Communications)
Surrounded by a group of reporters at the Heavener Football Training Center after Wednesday night's practice, McClain flashed his braces as he smiled. He sported a new haircut, chopping off the dreadlocks he had worn since he was 10. He looked you in the eye when you asked a question.
McClain presented himself in a much different manner than the internet reports had labeled him the past two years: aloof, entitled, and a young player who didn't get it.
"The process was slow,'' McClain said. "Coach Nape was like the first person to call me during my recruitment. He told me that you are going to have to actually work for something right here. And I was like, 'I'm down for it.' I told him I'm ready to work, Coach. Let's do it."
McClain admitted he showed up at Colorado unaware of what it took to succeed at this level. He rubbed people the wrong way. He missed meetings. He didn't put in the work off the field that Sanders demanded of a player with so much talent.
It was all part of the journey in his view.
"It was tough. I was a young player. I really didn't know enough knowledge and just needed someone to keep pushing me. I had a great experience at Colorado — just not people seeing eye to eye,'' he said. "We don't talk, but there's no bad blood [with Coach Deion]. It's all love."
Of course, McClain's transfer to Florida didn't solve his issues. He had to start over, and by all accounts, it was not a happy homecoming at first. He packed the same habits that led to his departure from Colorado for the trip to UF.
The Gators weren't having it. After a few missed meetings and a general lack of attention to detail, Napier tested McClain in ways no one had. The entire defense had to show up for grueling 6 a.m. workouts because of McClain's missteps.
Mr. McClain, Meet Mr. Accountability and his friends.
Defensive lineman Tyreak Sapp took on a mentorship role for McClain. Soon, McClain's habits began to change, and others noticed. He started communicating more as an adult. At Napier's urging, he began looking people in the eye when he spoke to them. He's not perfect, but McClain has matured and now has a chance to fulfill the massive potential that made him such a high-profile recruit.
"I have to get on his ass all the time, but that's part of it," Napier said. "There's a high ceiling there."
McClain has flashed his talent on the field, most notably last season when he intercepted a pass and returned it for a score against Kentucky. He made his first career start at LSU last month and gained favorable mention for chasing down LSU running back Caden Durham in the final minutes to prevent a sure touchdown. In the loss at Miami, McClain picked off a Carson Beck pass at a critical stage that kept the Gators in the game.
McClain's role increased after the Miami game when Napier announced that cornerback Dijon Johnson, who started ahead of McClain early in the season, is out for the season due to a knee injury.
These are the opportunities that turn five-star recruits into legitimate game-changers. McClain was not ready for that opportunity at Colorado. He was unprepared when he first joined the Gators.
But as McClain shook hands, introduced himself and responded as an adult on Wednesday night, he appeared to be a young man on the verge of something good.
"It feels great to be back home in Florida, playing for your home state,'' he said. "You just have to stay consistent and trust the process."
McClain now has a trusted map to guide him. And perhaps for the first time, he has the light on to be able to navigate the tricky turns.
Not too long ago, he was considered a troubled cause, a rule-breaker, a player on the verge of being a has-been before he was even an upperclassman. The tone has changed.
