GAINESVILLE, Fla.– Just a year after joining the Florida Gators as a walk-on, corner Cormani McClain has officially been put on scholarship, according to 247 Sports' Zach Goodall.
McClain, the former top cornerback recruit in the nation in the class of 2023, initially signed to play at Colorado under Deion Sanders but entered the transfer portal after one season with the Buffaloes.
For reasons other than his talent, not much interest was shown his way, leading him to commit to Florida as a preferred walk-on instead of a player on scholarship at a lower-level school. At the time, he had three years of eligibility remaining.
In his first season at UF, he recorded five tackles, one pass breakup and one interception in just three games of action. His season was cut short due to an undisclosed upper-body injury. While only playing a total of 111 snaps on the year, he showed flashes of his talent.
His breakout came in the late minutes of a week eight victory over Kentucky, where he recorded his first career interception, taking it all the way back for a touchdown. In 18 snaps, he recorded a PFF grade of 84.6, adding his only pass breakup of the season.
"When Cormani was on the scout team early in the season he would intercept a couple passes every day. I would just tell the staff like hey, this guy is down here, he got here mid-summer. Doesn't know as much but he can play man coverage," head coach Billy Napier said after the win over the Wildcats.
"… He's got great instincts. I think there is more room for growth. That's what I would say. I think ultimately, he's matured, cleaning stuff up a little bit. He's a rookie. Yeah, ultimately got to continue to do what you're supposed to do, and good things will happen."
He would finish the season with a PFF grade of 58.1, his worst appearance coming in 40 snaps against Texas, where he received a 35.2 grade as the Gators dealt with multiple injuries in its defensive backfield. The loss to the Longhorns would be his final appearance of the season.
Since he appeared in only three games, McClain was able to save a year of his eligibility as a redshirt, meaning he will still have three full years of eligibility left heading into 2025.
While Florida faces limited scholarship availability with McClain seemingly becoming the 85th player on scholarship, which puts the program right at the SEC's limit, it seems as if McClain has officially earned his spot on the team. Though this was an expectation when he signed, making it official is a big step towards settling the worries on McClain’s character and stability within the program.
Though him taking up a scholarship may mean a smaller likelihood of more portal additions to come, McClain's elevation to the scholarship group could finalize Florida's corner rotation, although starting spots remain to be determined.
Florida's scholarship corner room is currently comprised of Devin Moore, Dijon Johnson, McClain, Teddy Foster, Jameer Grimsley and Ben Hanks Jr.
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