Cormani McClain bolting from Colorado: 5 best destinations in transfer portal

Things are not going well for Deion Sanders and his Colorado football program right now. The Buffaloes are coming off a dismal 4-8 season under Coach Prime. Colorado may be joining a league better suited for them in the Big 12, but some of their best players are dropping like flies. Guys running back Alton McCaskill and defensive back Cormani McClain are entering the transfer portal.

McClain's name is somewhat shocking. He was expected to be the next Travis Hunter under Sanders' supervision. With Hunter and Sanders' two sons Shedeur and Shilo expected to turn pro after this season, you have to wonder how much rope Coach Prime will have to coach up his underperforming Buffs. Keep in mind that McClain decommitted from Miami late in the process last year to go to CU.

With the spring transfer portal window opening earlier this week, expect for more and more guys like McClain to enter it. They will need to find new places to play before the end of the month. McClain has three more years of eligibility. He has first-round talent, but his lone year at Boulder was nothing to write home about. McClain was only a freshman, but his college career must take off somewhere else.

Here are five potential transfer destinations for the former five-star defensive back out of Florida.

5. South Florida Bulls

The South Florida Bulls' inclusion in this post is not accident. Going to play for Alex Golesh in Tampa would bring McClain much closer to his native Lakeland for his final few years of college football. While USF is not at the Power Four level, the Bulls are coming off their best season in years under Golesh. With the right playmaker or two, what is to stop USF from crashing the postseason party?

Although it would be quite surprising to see McClain bolt for South Florida, keep in mind that we have seen another former five-star leave a Pac-12 school for a Group of Five. Malachi Nelson just did that in the previous transfer portal by leaving USC for Boise State. With USC being a Group of Five program on the rise, it wouldn't shock me if Golesh were to go big-game hunting in the transfer portal.

South Florida should be a dark horse to land McClain, but the Bulls have a better shot than you think.

4. USC Trojans

I don't know if this solves the problem at hand, but USC needs help on the defensive side of the ball and fewer places offer more glitz and glamor than playing for Coach Prime in Boulder than do the Trojans. Having D'Anton Lynn coming over from UCLA as their new defensive coordinator certainly helps. However, there is a chance USC could get lost in the shuffle initially upon joining the Big Ten.

In the long-term, I wouldn't hate to see McClain transfer to USC. The Trojans could be a fun team to watch with Miller Moss under center this year. It is important that Lincoln Riley's team plays with a sense of togetherness if often lacked when Caleb Williams was the starting quarterback. McClain might be another big name coming aboard, but he does not play as important of a position either.

USC is not a bad landing spot for McClain, but I think he future lies in the Southeastern United States.

3. South Carolina Gamecocks

South Carolina is the other name that keeps popping up as a landing spot for McClain. While Shane Beamer has proven to be a great recruiter for the Gamecocks, the results on the field have been hit or miss. Oh, no doubt, South Carolina was riding that Beamer heater of a lifetime two years ago with wins over Tennessee and Clemson. Last season, the Gamecocks did not even make a bowl game...

Regardless of how I feel about South Carolina's upward trajectory this season, I think it is a far better landing spot long-term for a guy like McClain than either Florida or Miami. Billy Napier feels as good as gone, while Mario Cristobal gets paid more money to do basically nothing. Beamer could be feeling the heat after another down year in Columbia, but I think a guy like McClain gets him wins.

South Carolina may be able to afford McClain immediate playing time upon arrival, but that is about it.

2. Alabama Crimson Tide

It was only a matter of time before we got to the Alabama Crimson Tide. While Nick Saban is done coaching, so quit askin', his replacement in Kalen DeBoer is expected to be a big player in the spring transfer portal. The former Washington head coach lost a ton of talent upon the regime change going on in Tuscaloosa. DeBoer is an excellent head coach, but he needs to start winning more in recruiting.

McClain had been recruited by Alabama, but the coaching staff changes means he could have another opportunity to see if the Crimson Tide can be the place for him like so many great defensive backs previously. I would say Alabama losing Caleb Downs to Ohio State, as well as Terrion Arnold and Kool-Aid McKinstry to the NFL Draft certainly make the Crimson Tide a real contender for him.

There is only one other team I think has a better shot at landing McClain than Alabama right now.

1. Florida State Seminoles

Without question, the Florida State Seminoles are my unbiased best landing spot for McClain. For as much as I would love to see him in Athens, I think playing back in his home state for Mike Norvell in Tallahassee might be hard to top. While Florida State is a major pullback candidate this year, I believe the 'Noles have staying power in the ACC for as long as they play there and the conference still exists.

Even if the Seminoles do pull back a little bit this year, that should still have them as a top-four team in the ACC, alongside Clemson, North Carolina State and one other team. Keep in mind that Florida State is Deion Sanders' alma mater. This was the school Travis Hunter was initially committed to before going to play for Coach Prime at Jackson State. Florida State is certainly worth considering.

To me, Florida State offers the perfect combination of coaching, winning and proximity for McClain.