Ahead of his second commitment date on Sunday, five-star cornerback Cormani McClain is projected to flip from the Miami football program to Colorado. McClain committed to Miami on October 27 after being heavily projected to commit to Florida. The McClain recruitment has been mercurial.
McClain has reiterated his commitment to Miami in the 2.5 months since he pledged to the Hurricanes. The recruitment of McClain has been tough to measure by national experts. McClain is not active on social media and does not often speak to reporters. McClain did not show up to his national signing day ceremony last month.
A few hours before the ceremony was scheduled McClain’s mother posted to Twitter he would not be signing an NLI on Early National Signing Day. Speculation has been rampant about where McClain would sign since then. The drama surrounding McClain reportedly centers around Name, Image and Likeness and coaching.
NIL is becoming the sole factor in recruiting for several high profiles prospects in the class of 2023. This is the first class that will have been recruited for over a year since NIL was instituted on July 1, 2021. McClain also reportedly wanted Defensive Analyst DeMarcus Van Dyke promoted to an on-field role for him to sign with Miami.
Van Dyke recruited McClain for Miami. The drama surrounding McClain is the type of attitude that Miami head coach Mario Cristobal wants to clear out of the Hurricanes’ locker room. Gaby Urrtia of Inside the U and Blake Alderman of Swamp 247
both logged crystal balls projecting McClain to commit to Colorado
.
On3 recruiting analyst Corey Bender also logged a projection that McClain will commit to Colorado. Several sites reported that the Miami football program sent coaches to visit McClain at his home in Lakeland, Florida on Friday only to learn that the second-ranked 2023 prospect was on his way to Boulder on Saturday.
McClain cannot sign an NLI until National Signing Day on February 1. With McClain in the 2023 class, Miami ranks four nationally. If McClain commits to Colorado on Sunday, the 2023 Miami class would fall behind Oklahoma. Miami might be better off without all the drama surrounding McClain.