What’s Next for the Florida Gators After Cormani McClain’s Pledge to Miami?
Photo: Patrick Toney and Corey Raymond; Credit: Alex Shepherd
The recruiting landscape is not for the faint-hearted. Always expect the unexpected.
On Thursday, the No. 1 cornerback and No. 2 player in the nation, Cormani McClain, did the impossible and shocked the world when announcing his commitment decision.
Considered a Florida lean for the longevity of his recruitment, dating back to the last coaching staff, McClain was thought to be as close to a lock to continue his playing career for Billy Napier and Co. as you can get.
The team many believed to be the biggest threat was the ultimate blue blood of college football in Alabama.
Miami was viewed as a distant third, until it wasn't.
McClain scorned the Gators and Crimson Tide, electing to take his talent to Miami to play for Mario Cristobal. His decision sent shockwaves through the recruiting world, paralleled to the ones 2022 No. 1 CB Travis Hunter sent when he left FSU at the alter to head for Jackson State last December.
McClain’s announcement is one of the worst losses by Florida on the trail in program history.
With that decision, the Gators lost out on their highest priority recruit — regardless of position — for the 2023 class and the wave of momentum they rode to being potentially the hottest program on the trail took a screeching halt.
That prompts the following questions: Can Florida rebound from the concerning loss? Where do the Gators turn after whiffing on the guy they slated to be the headlining act of a talented 2023 class?
Well, those answers are multi-faceted, given the stakes of losing a player the caliber of McClain to another in-state institution.
However, Florida does have a direction to elevate its top ten class.
To start, the Gators' defensive back class, even without the talents of the top-rated corner, is in good hands at the moment with Ja’Keem Jackson, Dijon Johnson, Sharif Denson, Jordan Castell, Bryce Thornton and Aaron Gates being more than sufficient for early playing time.
McClain would’ve added the elite element to a unit that is slated to see early time in their Florida careers to mend an underperforming secondary, and there’s no way to ignore the magnitude of that loss. However, with the pieces the Gators have compiled to this point, if there was a position to lose out on a top recruit, cornerback is the spot.
That doesn’t mean the Gators will stop pursuing talent in the back end, though. IMG Academy defensive back Desmond Ricks, who recently reclassified to 2023 from 2024, will now likely align as the top player on CB coach Corey Raymond’s wish list.
As for the rest of the defense as a whole, Florida’s attention now shifts to the trenches where a bevy of their remaining top prospects remain. Defensive tackle Kayden McDonald, who commits Monday, is expected to receive considerable attention over the next few days.
Uncommitted edge Keon Keeley, defensive tackle Jordan Hall, defensive tackle James Smith and offensive lineman Caden Jones are some of the names Florida will hope to turn the heat up on with the hope of persuading their decisions, although they all have hurdles for the Gators to jump.
The main search will be to secure the splash landing of the cycle. With a bevy of talented prospects to serve as complementary side dishes, Florida’s whiff on McClain results in their lack of a clear-cut leading talent of the class.
Right now, Carver (Ala.) edge rusher Qua Russaw or offensive tackle Samson Okunlola serve as the best options to make that become reality.
Russaw has shown a sustained interest in the Gators program since the new staff took over, and enjoyed his Oct. 14 official visit to Gainesville. Alabama and Georgia are the main contenders alongside UF for his services.
Meanwhile, Okunlola has reportedly recently surfaced as a possibility for Florida’s biggest position of need, as Gators offensive line coach tandem Rob Sale and Darnell Stapleton look to find the bookend offensive tackle.
Not only would that provide Florida the services of the top-rated offensive tackle in this class, but it would take a shot back at Miami after the losses they’ve taken to the Hurricanes on the trail since the new regimes took overall. Miami has long been a factor in Okunlola's recruitment.
All in all, despite the bad taste in the mouth of those in and around the Florida program, the road forward isn’t as bleak as the initial reactions may suggest. There are still viable options to step into the mix as a clear No. 1 recruit to firmly establish the 2023 bump class in the nation’s top ten.
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