By Scott Salomon
Shots Fired in Boulder!
The coach-player love affair between Coach Prime and Cormani McClain appears to be over. The two exchanged bitter words over the last 24 hours, and McClain, who was heavily recruited by many schools and gave a verbal commitment to Mario Cristobal, until Coach Prime came into the picture, might be given a first-class ticket to the transfer portal.
Coach Prime did not hold back when it came time to discussing why the top cornerback in the 2023 recruiting cycle is not seeing the field. Hours later, McClain struck back and said some things about Coach Prime that might find him playing somewhere else next season.
We all know that Prime is not shy when it comes to asking a player to hit the road. He jettisoned 75 players from last season’s 1-11 team when he took over as coach this season.
Deion Sanders was very blunt about his prized recruit from last year and was not very complimentary of the star from Polk County, Florida, who spurned Miami at the last minute to join the Buffaloes, where he was supposed to form quite the tandem with Travis Hunter, but it never materialized.
More Sports News
Asked what McClain has to do to see the field in non-garbage time, Sanders was extremely direct and took his prized recruit to task.
“Study and prepare. Be on time for meetings. Show up to the darn meetings,” Coach Prime said. “Understand the scheme, understand what we are doing as a scheme.”
Prime was just getting warmed up.
“He has to want to play this game, desire to play this game, desire to be the best in this game, at practice, in the film room, and on your own free time.”
Sanders went on to say that McClain does not spend enough time in the film room, and that is also causing him to miss playing time. Sanders did not think about this comment as it relates to the fact that football players can only spend 20 hours a week during the season on the sport.
“You do know that I check film from each player upon the week so I can see who is preparing, that’s not just about Cormani,” Sanders said. “So if I don’t see that, you would be a fool to put somebody out there who is not prepared. Can’t do it, won’t do it.”
Colorado’s leading tackler, Juwan Mitchell, was a bit more diplomatic in his assessment of McClain and why he is not seeing the field, especially with Hunter out with a lacerated liver.
“Cormani’s mature, he knows what he wants in life…year, he got things he has to work on, we all do,” Mitchell said. “He comes in every day ready to work… He’s special.”
Colorado Football's leading tackler, Juwan Mitchell on Cormani McClain:
"Cormani's mature, he knows what he wants in life… yeah he got things he got to work on, we all do. He's real hungry. He comes in everyday ready to work… He's Special."#wecoming #skobuffs pic.twitter.com/ucic8qndo4
— NoSkoZone (@noskozone) September 26, 2023
When you question a man’s desire to be the best at what he does or question his passion for the game, those are fighting words, and McClain was not going to take it sitting down.
McClain responded to his coach’s comments with a response on Instagram.
“You’ll be surprised what happen behind close doors,” McClain said. “(Everything) ain’t just what it seem(s)…but Pushing through politics everyday (is) the only way out.!”
McClain saw the field for a handful of reps against Oregon after Colorado was already getting blown out and made the most of his opportunity, registering two tackles, including one tackle for loss.
“Well, the score, I would’ve put you out there at one point,” Sanders said to a member of the media about the brief playing time that McClain saw against Oregon.
With Shilo Sanders taking a trip to the hospital after the Oregon game, and Hunter out this week against 8th 8th-ranked University of Southern California, the CU coaching staff is said to be working to develop McClain and that he might be a part of the “corner-by-committee” approach.
