Deion Sanders' former Colorado 5-star is creating quite the stink now at Florida

It is not a Deion Sanders problem any more. It is a Cormani McClain problem, one that Billy Napier has no choice but to nip in the bud to prevent from being another unnecessary distraction ahead of the most trying season in Florida Gators history. According to Nick De La Torre of On3, McClain is doing the same sort of crap that caused quite a stir for him in Boulder previously. His teammates hate him.

McClain was a five-star recruit in the 2023 recruiting cycle out of Lakeland, Florida. He initially committed to play for Miami before flipping and linking up with Coach Prime at Colorado. The thought was he would be the next Travis Hunter for the Buffs. Instead, he is proving to be an ice cream headache everywhere he goes. Sanders was not sad to see him go, feeling he was hurting the team.

Apparently, it is more of the same ahead of his second college season. De La Torre's intel suggests that McClain keeps showing up to required team activities such as lifts, meetings, practices, things of that nature. Florida has a strike system policy, resulting in punishments the entire team has to endure. In short, he does not seem to give a damn that he is late or that he is making his teammates run a lot.

Florida would be so lucky to go to a bowl game this year with that schedule. Do not make this harder.

Cormani McClain has been a selfish teammate since arriving at Florida

Look. I was a terrible college student. I was more interested in life outside the classroom than burying my nose in a book. However, when it came to showing up for important club meetings and things of that nature, I was there early and often. I may have been self-destructive in my late teens and very early 20s, but I was not about to hurt those I cared about. For better or worse, I was a team player.

What is frustrating to me is McClain is arguably more talented than seemingly everyone who is either a true sophomore or a redshirt freshman in college football. Unfortunately, I don't think that's going to matter in the end. This is because a well-respected coach like Napier is not going to put someone out there he cannot trust, one who has not earned the trust of his teammates. Football is a team sport.

The other thing here is Florida does not play in the old Pac-12. The Gators play in the SEC. They have the hardest schedule in the country. Not only do they end the year with Georgia, Texas, LSU, Ole Miss and Florida State in succession, but they also have to play the likes of Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas A&M and UCF this season. Like all SEC teams, this group has talent, but where are the wins to be had?

It is a step up in competition in joining the SEC, but McClain will have to step up to ever see the field.