Scouting Report: Miami Hurricanes Elite CB Commit Cormani McClain
Photo: Cormani McClain; Credit: Zach Goodall
In case you woke up this morning and remained in shock over the news, it's true: Cormani McClain has committed to the Miami Hurricanes.
The Lakeland (Fla.) High prospect, No. 1 cornerback and No. 2 overall recruit in the class of 2023 according to the 2023 SI99 preseason rankings, chose the Canes over the Florida Gators and Alabama Crimson Tide on Thursday night.
There's a good reason why Alabama and Florida, schools that have traditionally developed and produced elite defensive backs, were in the mix for McClain up until the end. McClain is a natural coverage talent with ball-hawking skills aplenty as a converted wide receiver, who is likely to take the field earlier in his college career than later thanks to those abilities.
Having handled the cornerback rankings for the SI99, the easiest way for me to provide a scouting report on McClain's game is by sharing my scouting notes that were compiled in August. It has been slightly updated to include his senior season statistics.
In addition to watching his sophomore and junior season film, All Hurricanes and its affiliated Sports Illustrated partners have collectively observed McClain in numerous camp settings, 7-on-7 tournaments and even a game at Lakeland during his senior season.
How can’t you name a player that moved to cornerback two years ago and already has 20 interceptions under his belt as the No. 1 defensive back in the country?
Cormani McClain is that player, the most natural cornerback in the nation this year despite his relative lack of experience.
He’s a legitimate 6-foot-2 with, most likely, the longest arms of any defensive back in the class, he runs a 4.5 flat and his change-of-direction skills are polished due to similarly elite lateral athleticism, and he simply knows how to attack the football, thanks to his time spent at wide receiver since first taking the gridiron — a position he could play at the next level if he chose to.
McClain has some of the cleanest footwork in his class, too. He’ll rarely false step throughout his backpedal and is precise with every mirror step he takes in order to keep receivers in check.
This benefits McClain greatly in man-coverage where he operates like a magnet, rarely disconnected from the receiver’s hip from his powerful jam at the line of scrimmage through the conclusion of the pass. He’ll allow receivers past him as instructed in Cover 2 but has perfected the trail technique to speed down the field, catch up with the target and break up passes from behind. He’s also nimble enough to break downhill and undercut short, in-breaking throws from off-man or deep zones.
The biggest, perhaps lone concern with McClain is his build, standing at a wiry 165 pounds despite his absurdly long frame. He’s a willing tackler and his press coverage punch is very strong, but he’ll need to add a bit of bulk to take on college, and one day pro, receivers in coverage and running backs in the ground game.
If anything else, sometimes McClain’s height gets the best of him against shifty slot receivers on out-breaking routes, but it’s hard to imagine he’ll play nickel outside of high school.
It’s pretty simple: If McClain is capable of bulking up anywhere into the 185-200 pound range without losing his athleticism, he has the potential to become a generational college football cornerback. Every other aspect of playing the position comes naturally to him.
If you can't tell, I think very highly of McClain's ability and believe he can be a game-changing cornerback at the next level — the kind of defensive back that Miami desperately needs considering The U's passing defense struggles over recent seasons.
McClain joins Melbourne (Fla.) Eau Gallie corner Robert Stafford as defensive back members of Miami's 2023 recruiting class.
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