For the second straight time, the top high school cornerback felt it would be wise to learn from Deion Sanders. Yesterday (Jan. 19), five-star recruit Cormani McClain from Lakeland High School in Florida announced that he’s taking his talents to Colorado to play for coach Prime and the Buffaloes.
College football analyst Carl Reed shared a video via Twitter of McClain making the official decision live with hosts of “Million Dollaz of Game,” Gillie Da Kid and Wallo, present.
McClain is a 6-foot-2-inch defensive back who ranks as the No. 2 overall prospect in the class of 2023 by Sports Illustrated. Reed also reported that NIL didn’t influence his selection, and he strictly made a football decision.
“In my position, I play DB (defensive back), and coach Prime [was] the best DB,” he told Reed. “I just want to be in the same shoes, same predicament… Gold jacket everything.”
NIL, which stands for “name, image, and likeness,” allows college athletes to accept money from businesses in exchange for using them on products or advertisements. They can also promote themselves or other companies in public appearances.
Breaking News: Cormani McClain announces he has committed to The University Of Colorado to play for Coach Deion Sanders. pic.twitter.com/TxzWKgJivS
— Carl Reed (@CoachReedLive) January 20, 2023
I asked Cormani McClain and his mom why @DeionSanders and @CUBuffsFootball? He also told me this was a football decision, not an NIL decision. pic.twitter.com/EDzFwjq9OK
— Carl Reed (@CoachReedLive) January 20, 2023
McClain, however, just wanted to get better at football and properly prepare himself for the next level. His mother said if they wanted the bag, her son would have accepted another offer.
“If it was about the money, we could have signed anywhere else,” she said. “The feeling, like I said, that I had when I was around these people, and they treated us like family… I just felt like we belong here.”
Reportedly, in October of 2022, McClain initially rejected offers from Florida and Alabama, and committed to play for Miami. But, since he never signed his national letter of intent with the Hurricanes, he was free to sign anywhere.
If McClain sticks to his decision, he will follow Travis Hunter as the top corner to play for coach Sanders. Hunter, who ranked as the top CB in the class of ’22, joined Jackson State University after flipping a previous commitment to Florida State. He will also play for Sanders next year at Colorado along with Prime’s son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who also transferred from JSU.