Florida's Billy Napier appears to take subtle shot at Deion Sanders and Colorado

The Gators head coach searching for answers in the midst of the Cormani McClain saga

Brett Patzke-USA TODAY Sports

Cormani McClain appears to be unchanged despite his move from Colorado to Florida. According to Gators' insider Nick de la Torre, the former five-star has dealt with a handful of issues in his short time away from Boulder.

Upon entering the transfer portal in spring, McClain expressed a desire to redefine his narrative, stating, “I’m just ready to bring out the old version of me and change the narrative of everyone’s thinking on my name [and] be a part of a real and a great program that’s going to impact me at my best ability.”

However, none of that seems to be sticking in Gainesville for McClain. A source close to the Gators program says the facts are tricky, because Billy Napier and Florida have reportedly reversed course in the midst of SEC Media Days.

De la Torre reported he’s been constantly late and the locker room doesn’t respect him. As a follow up, a source tells BuffsBeat that if not for Media Days, McClain would be removed from the team. But it would be a "bad look" for them, if they couldn’t keep him part of the team for less than two months. Also, the players reportedly took an internal vote and tried to kick him off the team a week ago.

Napier said broke his silence on the matter at SEC Media Days. "[McClain] is doing fine," Napier explained. "I think a lot of this has been blown out of proportion. I think he's a young player. Obviously, we're well aware of his history. Cormani's a local kid from Lakeland. He's got relationships with players on our team. We run a tight ship. There's structure, there's routine, there's discipline, there's accountability."

At Colorado, under the guidance of Deion Sanders, he was touted as a top-10 defensive back from Lakeland High School in the Sunshine State. While he displayed flashes of his talent on the field, his off-field issues, particularly a lack of accountability, hindered his progress.

Throughout the 2023 season, McClain stayed mostly in the background due to these accountability concerns. Sanders publicly criticized him for this, leading to McClain's departure. In his parting shot, McClain remarked, “I feel like I just don’t want to play for clicks. I actually want to be involved with a great leading program that’s going to develop players.” This comment targeted the media frenzy surrounding Sanders' program. However, at Florida, McClain continues to struggle with accountability.

Despite Deion Sanders' efforts to help McClain improve, the cornerback’s behavior remained unchanged. Now at Florida, Coach Billy Napier faces the challenge of fostering McClain’s growth where Sanders could not. According to De La Torre, Napier has implemented a strike system to address McClain's tardiness, involving extra runs and lifts, yet McClain continues to show up late. Napier has even resorted to team punishment for McClain's lapses, aiming to foster peer pressure to induce change.

Sanders wished him well, hoping he would find a program that holds him accountable and helps him grow. While McClain’s development remains a work in progress, Billy Napier and the Florida Gators are committed to guiding him towards maturity and accountability.