Coach Prime lands another 5-star cornerback for Colorado | College Football Enquirer
Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wetzel, and Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde and Ross Dellenger discuss Deion Sanders’ latest recruiting coup, as 5-star cornerback Cormani McClain has committed to join the Buffaloes after backing out of a commitment to Miami.
Video transcript
PAT FORDE: Colorado was so bad this last year, they didn't have the number one anything in the Pac-12. Now you're going to put two five-star top, top of the recruiting class guys out there. And, I mean, yeah, we'll see whether they're ready right away. But holy moly, that's a nice place to start.
[AUDIO LOGO]
DAN WETZEL: Colorado, so they are in potentially on Jaden Rashada. Coach Prime did land a recruit recently. I think it was in the last couple of days. I don't know what the official-- it may have been since our last show. Cormani McClain, the number two or three ranked player in the country, five-star defensive back from Florida, from Lakeland, Florida.
Was a huge battle between Miami and UF. Everyone thought he was going to UF. Lakeland is kind of a Florida stronghold. I think the Pouncey brothers were both from there and a lot of other players. Miami gets him. A lot of tumult there. A lot of blowback on Florida. It's funny, Florida didn't give enough on their collective on that one, then they came back and gave too much. I don't know what--
[LAUGHTER]
Anyway--
PAT FORDE: Tough to find that sweet spot.
DAN WETZEL: I don't know. Yeah, who knows? It's what I always-- it's like, oh, this place is giving all the money, and then they lose a recruit. You're like, well, what happened? I thought they had all the money. When the Yankees used to want the players, they got them. When Steinbrenner was around, that guy threw money around.
Anyway, he's going. It's the second straight year that Coach Prime has got the number one cornerback in America to come play for him. Makes a little bit of sense. He was arguably the greatest cornerback of all time. But next year, the Buffaloes will have Cormani McClain at one corner, if he starts as a freshman-- we'll see-- and Travis Hunter, the other number one guy, at the other corner. Amazing, right?
ROSS DELLENGER: Pretty good.
PAT FORDE: Incredible. I mean, do you remember-- I mean, Colorado was so bad this last year, they didn't have the number one anything in the Pac-12. I mean, now you're going to put two five-star, top, top of the recruiting class guys out there. And, I mean, yeah, we'll see whether they're ready right away. But holy moly, that's a nice place to start.
And some other big wins in the transfer portal for Coach Prime, who I think was last seen-- he was in Vail over the weekend, styling up there. He had the black Colorado letterman jacket up there. I mean, he is living the life.
DAN WETZEL: I saw the pic. It was cool. But what was he doing in Vail? He's going on vacation already? Come on, Coach Prime.
ROSS DELLENGER: Uh huh.
DAN WETZEL: I thought you were coming. What are you doing?
ROSS DELLENGER: Got to get up there with the lady and do a little skiing. And a little shopping. He had a little jewelry bag, I think, with him he was carrying for--
PAT FORDE: Oh yeah.
ROSS DELLENGER: --for his--
DAN WETZEL: Taking care of the home life, all right.
ROSS DELLENGER: Yeah. Yeah, you got to do that.
PAT FORDE: It was really cold in Vail over the weekend.
DAN WETZEL: A lot of good prospects in Vail. You've got to get over to Vail.
[LAUGHTER]
ROSS DELLENGER: That's right.
PAT FORDE: Jeremy Bloom was the one and only, man.
ROSS DELLENGER: Put it down as a recruiting trip.
DAN WETZEL: Who was? Was there a good player from Vail?
PAT FORDE: Jeremy Bloom. I don't know if there was-- well, he was a skier.
DAN WETZEL: Oh, Jeremy Bloom. He's a skier, yeah.
PAT FORDE: Yeah, but he played football too. He was a wide receiver--
DAN WETZEL: Oh, that's right. He did play football. That's right, he did.
PAT FORDE: He was a wide receiver for Colorado.
DAN WETZEL: I'm sorry. OK, well, don't even-- other recruits-- that's locked down. He's got Vail locked down. Coach Prime-- don't even bother. I don't care if you're Nick Saban. Don't even waste your time.
ROSS DELLENGER: It is funny. Remember, Deion Sanders, when he first was hired and his first video address to the team, he was basically like, we need new players, and most of y'all are going to be in the portal. And now we're seeing he's stocking up. He is stocking up on players. I think 25 or 24 transfers.
And you talk about these two cornerbacks. New players. He's going to have, for the most part, a brand-new team, which we've seen happen at several universities. USC is a good example this past year. I mean, not the whole team, but much of who you see on the field starting are new guys. And I think we should be ready to see that at Colorado as well.
DAN WETZEL: It's going to be fascinating to see. What's funny to me is that Colorado, I don't think, will be-- I don't think they'll be great next year. I mean, this is a massive rebuild, right? This was the worst Power Five team last year. They've had three coaches in four years. I mean, it's just a mess. And they threw everybody out, or tried to.
But imagine scheming against-- you're USC, right? You want to throw the ball. And again, let's see if these guys are ready. But just on talent alone, it's like, we got to have a totally-- they may be horrible at linebacker, but I can't throw to the outside.
PAT FORDE: [LAUGHS]