"It ain't on my end, it's on their end": Colorado transfer CB Cormani McClain points the blame at Deion Sanders' Buffs following portal decision
Cormani McClain announced his intention to enter the transfer portal on Tuesday after spending his freshman season with the Colorado Buffaloes, who are coached by Deion Sanders.
The cornerback had been seen as a generational prospect and someone who could help the Buffaloes become stronger, but due to his transfer, this will not happen.
McClain was asked how committed he was to remaining in the transfer portal during an X Space conversation, to which he replied:
"[On a scale of 1-10] It was an 11. It ain't on my end, it's on their end."
This tells us that, in the eyes of McClain, not only is he fully committed to transferring away from the Buffaloes program, but also that he blames Deion Sanders and the Colorado team for his decision.
McClain does have good reasons to think like this.
Firstly, despite being one of the top members of his recruiting class and being described in a Sports Illustrated article as "a generational talent with an NFL-ready drive."
McClain did not play in many games in 2023. He was on the field during nine of the Buffaloes' 12 games last season and only recorded 13 tackles (six solo and seven assists) during that time. Some could say that McClain's lack of time could be due to congestion at the cornerback position, especially as star player Travis Hunter is a cornerback, and the notion that McClain is a freshman who needs time to develop.
However, there also appeared to be a rift between McClain and Deion Sanders during the season, which may have been a reason why McClain did not play as much as he could have. This was over Sanders' view of McClain's work ethic, and Sanders once said that the only thing that was preventing McClain from playing was McClain himself.
In the end, McClain did play some games for the Buffaloes, but this was only because Travis Hunter was out injured. If Hunter remained healthy, one could predict that McClain, someone who was widely predicted to start every game last season, would have never seen game time.
Read More: Cormani McClain transfer portal: Top 5 landing spots for Colorado CB ft. Miami
Cormani McClain and the exit of players from the Colorado Buffaloes
Cormani McClain is not the only player reported to be transferring out of the Colorado Buffaloes.
There are numerous players at many positions, from offensive lineman Savion Washington to wide receiver Tar'Varish Dawson, who have stated that they will enter the transfer portal when it opens.
The Buffaloes are set to lose many top prospects who were reduced to backups on a struggling team, but this does not appear to worry Deion Sanders or his family. Shedeur Sanders, the Buffaloes quarterback, recently posted on social media:
"Portal opens soon let’s get busy."
One of the main things that Deion Sanders has been praised for during his time with Colorado is his strong use of recruitment and the transfer portal. Sanders uses the appeal of being able to play under one of college football's most talked-about coaches with tons of NFL experience to bring in the best players.
Previously, Sanders was successful in this, but as players now know what to expect when playing for the Colorado Buffaloes, this could hurt Sanders' ability to bring in the best talent available.
Do you think that the Colorado Buffaloes will be able to replace the likes of Cornami McClain?
Read More: Colorado football spring transfer portal tracker 2024: List of all Buff players who've entered the transfer portal window