Fact or Fiction: Cormani McClain is almost a lock to Florida
Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney and national recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman along with Corey Bender from GatorsTerritory.com and Josh McCuistion from SoonerScoop.com tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement.
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1. Denver Harris is expected at Texas this weekend. Alabama is still by far the favorite to land his pledge.
Gorney’s take: FACT. This answer could dramatically change if Denver Harris loves his Texas visit this weekend or the Longhorns do something spectacular to impress him but the feeling is that Alabama is going to be tough to beat here. Harris has even joked that all his friends poke at him about when he’s going to commit and there were rumors that it could have happened this week but nothing came of it. I’m not counting out Texas yet especially with him on campus but Alabama wants him and Alabama will almost definitely get him.
Spiegelman’s take: FACT. I don’t know if I'd describe it as "by far," but for some time now, I've been under the impression that Alabama is the leader for five-star cornerback Denver Harris. Harris enjoyed his time at Alabama and it also made a big impression on his family. Texas getting Harris on campus is big, especially toward the back end of his recruitment, but it's nothing out of the norm. This will give the Longhorns staff another opportunity to impress, but I'd anticipate another trip to Tuscaloosa before it's all said and done, too.
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2. Cormani McClain is expected back at Florida for the second-straight weekend. He's nearly a lock to the Gators now.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. Cormani McClain loves Florida. After this recent visit for the Alabama game, the 2023 four-star cornerback named the Gators his favorite. There’s no doubt in my mind that McClain could end up in Gainesville. But it’s still too early for me to say he’s “nearly a lock” to the Gators because there’s still so much time in his recruitment. Playing at Florida State with high school teammate Sam McCall could be intriguing. Alabama might blow him away. Maybe Georgia or another program. Florida is in great shape but is McClain a lock? Not yet.
Bender’s take: FACT. "Nearly" a lock, yes, but I will rarely say a highly-regarded prospect is a lock to any school, especially when they will not be signing for another 14 months. However, there is no doubt the Gators are sitting in a great spot for their top cornerback target in the 2023 class. Florida was McClain's favorite school prior to being a recruit, but the SEC school is now the official leader in his recruitment as well. There is a strong level of comfort after being in Gainesville a handful of times, while McClain believes he could step right in and make an impact as a freshman as well. He also respects UF's tradition of producing top-level DBs, with one being Kaiir Elam, but it's the home-like feel that separates UF from additional suitors.
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3. Oklahoma has a real shot to land four-star DE Marvin Jones, Jr., despite numerous connections to schools in the Southeast.
Gorney’s take: FACT. I’m not going to count out Oklahoma for Marvin Jones or Gabe Dindy or many of its top targets although battling Alabama, Ohio State, Florida State and others will be a big-time challenge. Still, it is a phenomenal sign that Jones is taking a visit to Norman this weekend, it should be a great environment and Florida State’s struggles has to give Jones some pause as to what’s happening in Tallahassee. Alabama and Ohio State definitely want Jones and those relationships are far along. But if the weekend goes really well then the Sooners could emerge right in that top group with other national powers.
McCuistion’s take: FICTION. There is more of an opening than I would have believed a month ago, for the obvious reasons that Florida State hasn't hit the ground running like they hoped they might in 2021. That seems to leave the door open against the Seminoles who are recruiting against some of the nation's most successful programs. But while I think he may not be locked into Florida State, there's still a long way to go for Oklahoma to be near the top of his list as they battle against schools who have more tenure in South Florida - Alabama and Ohio State most notably.