Cormani McClain to become Florida's not so secret hidden weapon

It has been a long and winding road for Cormani McClain to get on the field for Florida Football. Even though Google Maps would tell you the drive from Lakeland High to The Swamp is just a tick over two hours and is a mostly straight drive, McClain's journey has taken every twist and turn possible in a short amount of time.

His moment on Saturday wasn't the start of his story, and by the looks of things, it was far from the end of his story either.

Florida Football: Neverending Story

If you don't follow the world of recruiting particularly close, here is your quick recap of McClain's journey:

He was a five-star prospect in the class of 2023 out of Lakeland High. He was considered a Florida lean but wound up committing to Miami. McClain never made it to Coral Gables as on signing day he never signed. Eventually, he made his way to Colorado to play for Deion Sanders.

His Colorado experience was anything but smooth. Sanders publically critiqued McClain, suggesting he wasn't doing things correctly behind the scenes. When McClain did finally get on the field, he was one of the lowest-graded defensive backs in the country, according to Pro Football Focus.

McClain transferred from Colorado in the Spring, and after a lengthy stay in the portal, he came to Gainesville. It is believed he is here as a preferred walk-on.

While he had been spotted on the sidelines in uniform, McClain hadn't stepped on the field for Florida's first six games. However, with injuries running rampant in Florida's secondary, McClain was tabbed for action after Jason Marshall had to leave the game and was spotted in a sling.

McClain is no Rudy, but there is a Disney executive out there who could turn Saturday night into a movie of its own. He wound up taking 18 snaps and was Florida's highest-rated defender on the night, according to Pro Football Focus.

His highlight of the night was a chef's kiss to Florida's all-around beatdown of Kentucky. McClain was playing press coverage on the wide side, but the Kentucky receiver cut back and had about two yards of separation before trying to come back to the ball thrown his way.

McClain won that race back inside and, with outstretched arms, snagged the pass with nothing but green grass in front of him.

McClain also had a nice pass breakup in the endzone. While yes, this was against Kentucky in garbage time, the eye test would tell you that McClain looks ready to write the next chapter in his story.

And if Marshall winds up being out for any significant amount of time, it might be a lengthy chapter McClain gets to write.