Cormani McClain Sends Strong Public Message for Miami and Anez Cooper After Heated Feud

Cormani McClain just had a rebirth at Billy Napier’s Florida Gators camp. He had endured enough, turning into a hate magnet for calling out Deion Sanders’ Colorado with his ‘play for clicks’ comment. In Gators, too, it took him a long time to get rid of that ‘immature’ tag. But that did not stop others from poking McClain, urging him to return back to that dark phase…

However, the Florida cornerback is a changed man now. Napier’s boys fell against Miami (26-7), and that’s when Anez Cooper started trolling McClain. His reply? “Everybody keep asking if I’ve seen that video I’m locked in on getting better every day, being a better teammate, and figuring out how we can win games together. Best of luck to Anez and Miami. Go Gators! 🐊,” McClain came with a strong message.

The hoopla started with Cooper being bitter with McClain after the Hurricanes beat Florida at Hard Rock Stadium. “Cormani McClain, you a h–,” the Miami player said in an Instagram live clip. “You know where I’m at. You know where I be everyday… Ninety-five (Jamari Lyons), get up with me. Trying to hurt me and s—.” Cooper and McClain traded barbs throughout the matchup, typical of a fierce rivalry.

Exactly what was said remains a mystery, but Cooper made sure his followers knew he was unhappy with his counterparts after the game. Not just McClain, even Jamari Lyons was not spared from the backlash. He alleged Lyons made a dangerous move at the line of scrimmage. And guess what? This is not the first time that McClain and co. fell prey to Cooper’s hot words.

Back in August, Cooper stated it is not hard at all to block Florida defensive lineman Tyreak Sapp. Cooper stated it is not hard at all to block Florida defensive lineman Tyreak Sapp. But now that McClain is the centre of the storm, he refuses to take part in the mudslinging. The former Lakeland High standout, the 6-foot-2, 189-pound McClain, is finally starting to show the promise that made him the top overall in-state recruit in the 2022 class. Against Miami, the cornerback snagged an interception to keep Miami from running away with it early, but the defense eventually tired under heavy possession. 

Now, after hitting one slump, McClain refuses to go into that rabbit hole. Back in Napier’s camp, the cornerback has fought by getting rid of tags like “locker room cancer.” Discipline has been a major concern. As Nick de la Torre wrote, “You’re not going to be liked in the locker room if your tardiness/immaturity is causing the rest of your team to have to run… Just immature. Needs to grow up.” While Cooper chose to rip him apart, he got the back of his head coach, Napier. 

Cormani McClain protected his hard-earned glow up from distractions

On September 19, Zach Abolverdi reported, “Florida cornerback Cormani McClain earns his first start in 2025 with strong play.” He further pointed out what made Napier boast about his cornerback, “I’m proud of Cormani. He started in the game, [and] he had a good week of practice.” McClain shone at LSU with two game-changing stops. A third-and-2 stop forcing a punt and a 50-yard chase-down to deny a touchdown.

Even though his game against Miami was a big turn down, it came with a big surprise gift for McClain. As Gators insider Nick Marcinko tweeted, “Cormani McClain was Florida’s highest graded player vs. Miami. PFF grade: 84.9 McClain intercepted the only pass thrown his way.” McClain’s role has steadily grown, 29 snaps vs. LIU, 43 vs. USF with a tackle for loss, and a first start vs. LSU with 3 tackles.

That’s how his hard work is paying off. This offseason, Cormani McClain went through a serious physical transformation. On August 19, LockedOnBuffs tweeted, “Cormani McClain seems to have figured things out at Florida. Went from being listed as 165 pounds at Colorado to 189 pounds at Florida.” McClain added 20 pounds to his scale and had hit a top speed of 23 mph. He even made his mother, Kaishay, proud, who was also dragged into the post-CU exit drama. So, he’s not ready to let a spat with Anez Cooper ruin his hard-earned glow-up.