On Thursday, Colorado acquired Miami’s five-star cornerback Cormani McClain in a trade with Deion Sanders. This marked Sanders’ first five-star acquisition as the Buffaloes’ head coach.
McClain, ESPN’s No. 4 overall prospect, is Colorado’s highest-ranked recruit since ESPN began ranking players in 2006. He had been committed to the Hurricanes since October and had planned to sign with Miami during the early signing period in December. However, after Sanders was hired at Colorado, he abruptly decided to wait.
On the first day of the early signing period, McClain’s mother tweeted that her plans had changed and that McClain would wait to sign his national letter of intent. Sanders continued to pursue the class’s best corner, even convincing McClain to make snow angels while they were in Colorado.
By announcing that he would play for Sanders on Thursday, McClain made the switch official. McClain joins Travis Hunter, who switched from Florida State to Jackson State in the 2022 class, as Sanders has done so for the second year in a row.
Hunter transferred during the offseason after Sanders went to Colorado. Sanders will now have another talented secondary player. McClain is the state’s top prospect and a 6-foot-2, 165-pound recruit from Lakeland, Florida.
He is Sanders’ third ESPN 300 prospect in the 2023 class, more than Colorado has had in each of the previous two classes taken together.
Sanders said he would bring in his own players and more talent to help improve the program during his first meeting with the team. In the transfer portal, he has done that with McClain, Hunter, and his son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Although McClain has made a verbal commitment to Colorado, he will not be able to sign a national letter of intent until February.
