Ramsey, a former sportswriter turned SID for famed coaches Bear Bryant (Texas A&M) and Darrell Royal (Texas), once said of the interest in Texas football: “The two main sports in Texas are football and spring football.”
Ramsey’s one-liner has been lifted and altered many times to fit the circumstances. But in some ways, it still rings true at specific schools. Florida’s success across its athletic department has expanded fan interest far beyond The Swamp, but football undoubtedly moves the needle in a way nothing else does in the Sunshine State.
And as far as spring football goes – regardless of the program – nothing on the hype meter registers as high as a young player ready for a breakout season. Every top program, every year has at least one or two. Somebody says something in camp, and the media and fans stretch it to the max.
I remember in 2022 that guy for the Gators was linebacker Diwun Black, who stuck to his UF pledge after being forced to spend a year at a junior college. Active on social media and friendly with fans, Black remained with the Gators through a coaching change.
He was a player easy to root for.
But after countless stories on him that spring, Black became an afterthought in head coach Billy Napier‘s first season and transferred to Temple, where he played the last two seasons.
Gators sophomore cornerback Cormani McClain is the leader in the hype category after the first week of this spring camp. Make no mistake, McClain is a promising young player. He has the size, length and ball skills that fit the bill for a No. 1 corner.
Veteran teammate Tyreak Sapp expects big things from McClain in 2025 and let everyone know when he met with reporters last week.
“I love the kid,” Sapp said. “To see him come from that situation, where there wasn’t a whole lot of structure, he just needed somebody to push him and have teammates be there for him. He works really hard, not just at his craft, but just to be the best person he can be every day. He has grown up a lot.
“Cormani is going to be dangerous. That kid, he’s fast in the way he understands the game. He just has a knack for playing corner. He understands how to play corner.”
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Florida Gators…