Billy Napier feels Florida has three cornerbacks capable of starting

The 2025 season is now just days away, and rosters around the country are coming together. At Florida, one group that has stood out to head coach Billy Napier is the cornerbacks.

Recently, Napier was asked about star transfer Cormani McClain. He’d explain that McClain is one of three corners who Florida is comfortable having start for them this year.

“Yeah, we’ve got three corners that we would consider starters,” Billy Napier said. “And he’s in that group — Devin [Moore], DD [Dijon Johnson] and himself.”

Devin Moore is an experienced defensive back who came to Florida as a four-star recruit in the Class of 2022. Over 14 games in the last two seasons, he has three interceptions and five passes defended. Then, Dijon Johnson was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2023. For his part, he has two passes defended in 25 career games.

Of the three, Cormani McClain had the most hype coming out of high school. A five-star recruit in the Class of 2023, he was the top-ranked cornerback in that recruiting cycle. Initially, he went to play for Deion Sanders at Colorado, but struggled to get on the field before transferring to Florida. He’d play three games for Florida last year, adding an interception and a pass defended to his career totals.

“Cormani has improved as a tackler. I think he’s had a great offseason. He’s gained probably 15 pounds of lean muscle. He’s bigger, he’s stronger, he’s been much more disciplined, he’s been much more consistent as a teammate, much more accountable. He hasn’t had a 6:00 a.m. the entire offseason, which is an accomplishment for him. So, I think he’s grown up quite a bit. I think he understands his level of loyalty and accountability to the team. He wants to be a guy that people can trust. He needs to continue to work on his communication,” Napier said.

“And I think he’s very much a young player that continues to evolve. But he is a good cover corner. He can play outside, he can match up, he’s got height, length, speed, ball skills. He has ball judgment, and he’s improved his attack. So, we need Cormani to continue to improve, and there’s a huge, long runway for him to continue to get better.”

As a team last season, Florida finished just 83rd nationally in passing defense, giving up 227.5 yards per game. That was good for 11th in the SEC. The hope is that with improved and healthier play in the secondary, that group can take a leap forward and help the Gators become more competitive in the SEC.