Making the Case: Five-star Cormani McClain
The nation’s top cornerback is ready to be done with the recruiting process.
Five-star cornerback Cormani McClain from Lakeland, Fla., will announce his decision on Oct. 27. Alabama, Florida and Miami are the three finalists.
There have been numerous schools mentioned for McClain throughout his recruitment, which has spanned years. Alabama has always been a mainstay and Ohio State was definitely up there for a while, especially after some South Florida Express teammates – Carnell Tate, Mark Fletcher and Brandon Inniss – committed there.
Miami really started to intrigue him when coach Mario Cristobal took over and the Canes made him a major priority. Florida was basically out of his recruitment this past offseason, but coach Billy Napier, position coach Corey Raymond and others on that staff turned that around as the Gators became a main player.
In today’s Making the Case, experts from around the Rivals network make an argument for a particular school, and then national recruiting director Adam Gorney issues his verdict as to where he sees McClain ending up.
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ALABAMA
Alabama will not go down without a fight for McClain, despite the recent rumors linking him to Gainesville. Many believe that it hurt Alabama’s chances when the Tide did not get McClain to officially visit for the Texas A&M game. That being said, Alabama is still Alabama, and sources close to McClain believe that he likes the idea of playing for an established culture like the one in Tuscaloosa, and he could see himself being developed were he to side with the Crimson Tide.
Defensive back is a position always held in high regard at Alabama, especially since Nick Saban coaches the position himself. As a result, it is typically hard for a DB to turn down Saban.
Additionally, McClain would have a prime opportunity to come in and contribute, given the recent struggles and the fact that the the Tide have some established playmakers that could leave the room by next fall. McClain could quickly find himself contributing while still getting the development he needs. - Russell Johnson, TideIllustrated.com
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FLORIDA
McClain checks in from Lakeland, Fla., which has been very kind to the Gators over the years, and that trend will continue later this month.
Coach Billy Napier and position coach Corey Raymond have built strong relationships with McClain and his mother. The pair identified McClain as a must-get since arriving in Gainesville. The Gators have done an outstanding job with this recruitment and showing the five-star a crystal-clear plan for his time spent there. McClain also has strong relationships with most of the current Florida commits, making the situation even more comfortable. Raymond is the top cornerbacks coach in America, and he adds a big piece to the puzzle for McClain and his family. - Jason Higdon, 1standTenFlorida.com
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MIAMI
Lately, Miami has fallen behind in the race for McClain. The Hurricanes have actively recruited the five-star cornerback throughout his process, but the connection with coaches elsewhere has exceeded that of Miami. Alabama has also pushed for McClain as the relationship with defensive backs coach Travaris Robinson remains a solid one.
According to sources, Florida has taken the lead, and it does not seem like the Hurricanes or Tide will overtake the Gators. UF alumni are involved with influencing McClain and it seems the outstanding lockdown Lakeland cornerback will continue the tradition of sending Dreadnaughts to Gainesville. This looks like a case where the corner will stay close to home. - Marcus Benjamin, CanesCounty.com
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THE VERDICT
This one has come down to Alabama and Florida, and some would argue that it’s been that way for months. Miami has definitely tried to engage here, but it still looks like a serious stretch, so let’s take a look at the two SEC schools. McClain has a lot of respect for Alabama and its development of cornerbacks along with playing for Nick Saban, but his relationships are too strong at Florida.
The Gators have made up such tremendous ground in this recruitment. In the spring when I talked to McClain twice about this he was very lukewarm about playing in Gainesville. But coach Billy Napier and position coach Corey Raymond have done a phenomenal job here. They’ve stayed after the local prospect and the idea of playing for DBU up the road with a lot of players he’s already familiar with and what the Gators are building will be too much to turn down. - Adam Gorney, Rivals national recruiting director