If Cormani McClain is to live up to the hype he generated as a high school recruit, it won’t happen in Boulder.
On Tuesday, the former five-star prospect became the latest member of the Colorado football team to put his name into the transfer portal.
A 6-foot-2, 165-pound sophomore, McClain was rated by 247Sports.com as the No. 1 cornerback recruit coming out of high school in the 2023 class. His 247Sports rating of .9921 makes him the fourth-highest rated player to ever sign with the Buffaloes.
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As the spring transfer portal window opened on Tuesday, several Buffs officially have moved on. Along with McClain, receiver Jacob Page and offensive lineman David Conner were among the latest players from CU to put their names into the transfer portal.
As previously announced, safeties Jaden Milliner-Jones and Myles Slusher, offensive linemen Isaiah Jatta and Savion Washington and defensive lineman Chazz Wallace also put their names into the portal on Tuesday.
Receiver Tar’varish Dawson and defensive end Devee Harris, who left the team earlier this year, also officially went into the portal.
Head coach Deion Sanders, a Pro Football Hall of Famer and considered by many as the best corner to ever play, won a major recruiting battle for McClain less than 15 months ago. McClain said he picked the Buffs to be coached by Sanders.
A star at Lakeland (Fla.) High School, McClain was committed to Miami before flipping to CU on Jan. 19, 2023, and signing with the Buffs on Feb. 1, 2023. McClain chose CU over at least 25 other scholarship offers.
After a rocky first season, McClain has not participated in spring practices this year. On Thursday, cornerbacks coach Kevin Mathis said McClain “came back today and he was out there running.”
Mathis added: “He’s got to get back in shape. Once he does that, once he finishes running, he’ll be back on the football field.”
Getting onto the field hasn’t been easy for McClain since he arrived late last summer.
McClain played in nine games last season, including four as a starter. He didn’t play in the first three games of the season and get didn’t on the field on defense until late in game No. 4 at Oregon, playing four snaps.
In late September, Sanders said McClain needed to study and prepare better and be on time and show up to meetings. As the season went on, McClain was on the field more often, including starting the last three games. He finished the year with 13 tackles and two pass breakups.
In the offseason, however, the Buffs added transfers DJ McKinney and Preston Hodge, who have both had a good spring, while another former five-star corner, Travis Hunter, continues to shine.
Conner, a transfer from Florida last year, missed the entire 2023 season with an injury. Page was a part of CU’s 2023 recruiting class out of high school and redshirted last season.
Overall, CU had 10 players officially enter the portal on Tuesday. Unofficially, the Buffs have 11 open scholarship spots.