Cormani McClain went from a five-star recruit to a forgotten walk-on player for Florida football.
However, McClain made his Gators debut on Saturday vs. Kentucky and made it memorable. With 3:31 remaining in the game in Gainesville, Florida, the sophomore collected his first career interception when he picked off Kentucky quarterback Cutter Boley on a throw to the sideline.
McClain took the interception back 25 yards, backpedaling the final three yards, to push the Florida lead to 48-20 in the waning moments of the SEC matchup. As he headed into the end zone, the entire Gators defense swarmed McClain, who transferred into Florida this offseason from the Deion Sanders-led Colorado as a walk-on for the Gators.
Florida was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for every player on defense celebrating on the field with McClain.
‘When Cormani was on the scout team early in the season, he would intercept a couple of passes every day,’ Florida coach Billy Napier said postgame on McClain. ‘I would just tell the staff like, ‘Hey, this guy is down here, he got here mid-summer. Doesn’t know as much but he can play man coverage.”
Look: Florida’s entire defense was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct
McClain got a shot late in the game following an injury to Florida senior cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. It was the first action of the season for the former five-star recruit in the 2023 recruiting class. Per 247Sports’ Composite rankings, McClain was the No. 13 overall player in the class and the top-ranked corner. He famously picked Colorado over Miami, flipping his commitment to Sanders and the Buffaloes.
However, after one season in Boulder, McClain opted to enter the transfer portal following a season of struggles as a true freshman. He accepted a walk-on offer at Florida and debuted Saturday vs. Kentucky.
Here’s a look at his teammates mobbing him in the end zone following his pick-six.
