The best thing for college football? Deion Sanders. But some think he’s the worst thing as well. Here’s your dose of Daily Deion.
Disclaimer: I have always been a fan of Deion Sanders. Loved him as a player at FSU, in Atlanta and Dallas and even respected him as a 49er against my Cowboys.
Did Deion do wrong with five-star freshman DB Cormani McClain? It’s an interesting debate. For context, McClain is from Florida and was heavily recruited. He had been committed to Miami but decided to visit Colorado after some NIL issues occurred with the Hurricanes and suddenly he was in Deion’s 2023 recruiting class. Was it NIL? Was it Prime? Who knows?
Fast forward to this season and the super talented corner isn’t playing. Many expected he and Travis Hunter would form a dominant duo at defensive back but McClain has apparently lagged behind. And Deion is asked about it constantly. He recently explained what it’s going to take for McClain to see the field.
And here we go. McClain responded on social media with: “You’ll be surprised what happens behind close(d) doors“, and “(Everything) ain’t just what is seem(s)… But pushing thru politic(s) everyday (is) the only way out!”
As with everything Prime we have a controversy. And there are always different sides to any controversy.
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Some feel Deion did exactly what is needed for the young man. The old-school approach is to hold him accountable and challenge him and I’m sure Coach Prime has done that over and over again. Now he has done it through the media and there are those who agree with him. This is Deion’s form of love and it’s tough love.
Others feel this should remain behind closed doors and that dirty laundry shouldn’t be aired publicly. I lean this way as well. Is it dirty laundry to call out a kid who appears to be lazy and does not want to be great? Not compared to more serious issues that cause players to fall behind. But it’s still not flattering and should be kept in-house. Why? Because that’s what coaches do and they do it for a reason. Hundreds of players enter the transfer portal each year for various reasons — bad grades, lack of desire, lack of talent, off-field issues — and coaches rarely comment on it. You don’t hear “such and such left the team because he’s lazy, doesn’t put in the work, and hates practice” and there’s a reason. It hurts the player’s chances to find another home.
Now I agree that McClain is his own worst enemy and he obviously needs to grow up. And I don’t think Deion is doing this maliciously at all. He’s honestly just being Deion. But when you recruit a kid from your old stomping grounds, lure him up to Colorado with the promise of playing time (and trust me, promises were made to McClain), and want to mentor him as a coach and father figure, you keep things quiet and behind closed doors. Here’s what I would have liked Deion to say…
“He’s a super talented kid and he’s gonna be a great one for us. We’re working on things and we’re close to getting everything right. Cormani is fine, we are on track.”
Lies? Maybe. It’s coach speak and actually falls in line with the things Deion is praised for. People rave about how Deion takes care of his kids and protects them while providing them guidance and mentorship privately. This one got mixed up. Deion is doing the right thing for McClain by holding him accountable and not rewarding laziness with playing time. He should just be doing it quietly.
