Bama Central

Recruiting Rundown: The Sanders Effect

Could the Cormani McClain flip to Colorado a sign of things to come for Alabama?

Mason Smith

Recruiting Rundown: The Sanders Effect
Recruiting Rundown: The Sanders Effect /

When Cormani McClain didn't sign with Miami during the early signing period, the newswire couldn't stop buzzing in regards to where the consensus 5-star recruit.

There was still the chance McClain could've stuck with his original commitment, or he could've stayed in his home state of Florida chosen the flagship institution in the Florida Gators.

But as the days went on, the two most likely schools became Alabama, home to the most storied program in college football, and Colorado, where Deion Sanders took over the program after a successful tenure at Jackson State.

Both schools had a legitimate case to land McClain: not only is the Crimson Tide still considered among the elite, if not the elite, but Nick Saban and Co. were able to bring in its most talented recruiting class in recent memory, including flipping another 5-star in offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor from Iowa. However, Colorado offered McClain the one thing Alabama could not, and that is the opportunity to be coached by one of the best to ever play the position. McClain said as much when he was asked why Colorado was the choice for him.

Knowing the reason, it's not a surprise how Sanders was able to flip McClain, but there are other factors that could be a sign of things to change on the recruiting landscape.

For one, the transfer portal. No, it is not the same as recruiting talent out of high school, but to see the results Sanders has made is impressive. According to 247Sports, Colorado is no. 4 on the transfer team rankings, trailing only LSU, Florida State and Auburn. Granted, the bulk of that includes the talent that followed him from Jackson State, namely former 5-star recruit Travis Hunter and his son/quarterback Shedeur Sanders. But the part that raises the alarm is the amount of Power 5 talent that is transferring to Colorado:

  • CB Kyndrich Breedlove (Ole Miss) 
  • IOL Yousef Mugharbil (Florida)
  • LB Vonta Bentley (Clemson)
  • S Myles Slusher (Arkansas)
  • EDGE Jordan Domineck (Arkansas): T-3rd in SEC with eight sacks

In regards to traditional recruiting, the 2023 recruiting class for Colorado is already up to 29th after the addition of McClain, and the 2024 class currently sits at 17th. Among the 2024 commitments is defensive lineman Omar White, a 4-star recruit who has offers from Arkansas, Georgia, Michigan and - you guessed it - Alabama.

It's still early in the 2023 recruiting cycle, and one player doesn't break the proverbial bank, but it'll be interesting to see what Sanders does with a full year at Colorado. More importantly for Alabama fans, it'll be more interesting to see if Sanders can cut into Alabama's recruiting prowess, more so at positions besides defensive back. Here are some names to keep in mind that have both Alabama and Colorado among their top choices:

  • 4-star Safety Jordon Johnson-Rubell, '24, Forth Worth, Texas. Also includes Ole Miss, Texas, TCU and Oklahoma among final 12
  • 5-star ATH KJ Bolden, '24, Buford, Georgia (no. 4 recruit in class). Also includes Georgia, Ohio State, LSU and Michigan among top 15
  • 5-star Cornerback Ellis Robinson IV, '24 (no. 1 CB in class). Georgia, LSU and Miami round out his top 5

In Other News...

Alabama running back commit Justice Haynes posted a video of him putting in some work during a training session.

2024 4-star tight end Michael Smith is scheduled to announce his commitment on January 24 at 12:30 p.m. ET. It is primarily between Alabama and Arkansas, among others.

See also: Is Alabama the Best Team in College Basketball? All Things CW

Alabama Lands Georgia LB from Transfer Portal

Tracking Alabama Players in the NFL Playoffs: Divisional Round

Published
Mason Smith
MASON SMITH

Mason Smith is a staff writer for BamaCentral, covering football, basketball, recruiting and everything in between. He received his bachelor's degree in Journalism from Alabama State University before earning his master's from the University of Alabama.

Home/Recruiting