Billy Napier: Desperate or Genius? (Or Both)

Cormani McClain is polarizing and there are two ways to look at Billy Napier taking him as a preferred walk on with the Gators . It’s either a move of desperation or a stroke of genius.

Desperation

Let’s look at the bad part first. McClain was a long-time Gators target and heavy lean out of high school. His expected commitment to the Gators turned sour, however, after he and his family began looking for more NIL money. He surprisingly committed to Miami, known at the time as a program with deep coffers, and the Gators were spurned. However, this looked like a blessing in disguise as McClain and family allegedly demanded even more from Miami, delayed signing in the Early Signing Period, and eventually flipped to Deion Sanders and Colorado. Miami, as well as Florida, felt they dodged a bullet.

McClain never panned out at Colorado, was called out publicly by Sanders early in the season for a lack of effort, and eventually hit the portal. He took a shot at Deion on the way out, saying he didn’t want to play for clicks, and here we are. We have an immensely talented cornerback with long arms, good speed, and a great frame with a lot of baggage — and not the Louis Vuitton kind. In fact, out of high school, it was privately known that McClain preferred to play wide receiver and didn’t love the cornerback position.

So, with Napier allowing the kid to come back knowing all of this, it seems odd. Miami never sniffed in his direction when he hit the portal, and many programs didn’t bat an eye when he went in. Too many issues. But here we are with the Gators and Napier going down this road again for some reason. We all know Napier needs to win and win now with a brutal schedule and two losing seasons under his belt in Gainesville. Is this a sign of desperation? Is this a “win at all costs” attempt? It could be. Maybe McClain has changed, maybe he’s a team first guy and won’t be a lockerroom issue. Or maybe he’s the same old problem.

Stroke of genius

So what does Napier have to lose? That’s where the stroke of genius argument comes into play. McClain is obviously an immensely talented player; you don’t become a consensus 5-star with 50 offers because you suck. He has length, he has speed and he has instincts. And perhaps he’s matured through all of this and just wants to play football. Napier isn’t giving up a scholarship for McClain and could be getting an absolute steal if his head is on straight. And what does he have to lose? This could very well be a low-risk, high-reward situation for Napier and the Gators heading into a crucial year.

My Take

This won’t work. I don’t think McClain will be a lockerroom disruption or hurt whatever culture Napier has built, but I also feel about 99% sure that McClain will transfer again sooner or later. QB Jaden Rashada had his hand out for NIL, as Gators fans know, and made some poor choices playing the Gators and Miami off each other as well. He ended up at Arizona State and bailed the moment things got tough, but he is now at Georgia. And that won’t work either. Multiple commits out of high school, NIL asks, and family members who can’t get out of the way tend to lead to poor decisions and an inability to fight through adversity. If you asked me, the chances of McClain transferring from Colorado after he committed, my answer would have been 99%. He’s closer to home now, a year older and wiser, and those factors could be crucial, but I’m still at 99%. Time for McClain to prove me wrong.