Friday Night Notes: Cormani McClain chooses Miami,…

Friday Night Notes: Cormani McClain chooses Miami, Michigan’s big visits & more

USA TODAY High School Sports‘ Friday Night Notes is a weekly high school recruiting recap that looks at the latest news from around the country—from the Class of 2023 to ’24 and beyond.

Miami made the biggest splash in the recruiting game this week, earning a surprise commitment from the top remaining undecided defender in the nation.

Lakeland (Fla.) cornerback Cormani McClain announced Thursday that he’ll be playing for Miami, choosing the Hurricanes over Alabama and Florida. McCLain is ranked No. 1 at his position and No. 2 overall in his recruiting class behind only Texas QB commit Arch Manning.

McClain (6-foot-2, 165 pounds) comes ready-made as a potential game-changer for any defense. Like Tariq Woolen and Richard Sherman, McClain is a converted wide receiver who’s put his ball skills to great use on defense. Last year as a Junior, he posted a school-record 10 interceptions, following nine as a Sophomore. During that time, he also had around 1,000 receiving yards and caught 12 touchdown passes.

The scouting report for McClain mentions his freakish size, length and speed but a relatively raw technique. That’s to be expected at his age, and in the right program (Miami’s DB coaches certainly qualify), he should develop into an elite shutdown cornerback in just a couple of seasons.

This news may shock Florida fans, which was the school widely expected to recruit McClain. However, he told Andrew Ivins at 247Sports that Miami moved in front about two months ago.

Hear from the man himself! 🗣

5⭐️ CB Cormani McClain joined @Andrew_Ivins for an exclusive interview right after his commitment to Miami pic.twitter.com/3C13Pk7m2Q

— 247Sports (@247Sports) October 28, 2022

McClain is the 18th recruit and second five-star prospect for the Hurricanes in this cycle, along with IMG Academy (Fla.) OT Francis Mauigoa.

The news gave a massive boost to Miami in the national recruiting rankings. They have jumped from outside the top 10 and landed at No. 8, one spot ahead of Florida.

Tausili Akana narrows list to 10 schools

Athletic corners who can catch the ball like McClain will always be in demand, but the best defenses can cover and get pressure simultaneously. One of the top remaining undecided recruits is Tausili Akana from Skyridge (Utah). He broke out as a Junior, posting 13 sacks to go with 28 tackles for a loss. Through 10 games this year, he has eight more sacks plus 13.5 TFL.

A few days ago, Akana announced his list of the top 10 schools: Penn State, Texas, Hawaii, Notre Dame, Alabama, Tennessee, Utah, Oklahoma, LSU and Texas A&M.

According to 247 Sports, Oklahoma is in the lead to get his commitment. He visited with Brent Venables and the Sooners a few weeks ago. Next up on the tour is a visit to Texas A&M on November 4.

Jadyn Davis among big visits for Michigan

Recruiting is a 365-days-a-year hustle, but some days loom larger than others. This looks to be a significant recruiting weekend for Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan program, which is hosting several top undecided prospects.

Here are the four five-star prospects coming in for the big game against rival Michigan State on Saturday evening. At the top of the list is another visit for the No. 3 ranked QB in next year’s class.

Jadyn Davis: Providence Day (N.C.) QB – 2024

6-foot-1, 190 pounds, five stars

Justin Scott: St. Ignatius (Ill.) DL – 2024

6-foot-5, 310 pounds, five stars

Ryan Wingo: St. Louis University (Mo.) WR – 2024

6-foot-2, 198 pounds, five stars

Bryce Underwood: Belleville (Mich.) QB – 2025

6-foot-2, 200 pounds, five stars

Sometimes schools bring together a large group of high-end prospects like this and splurge for a red-carpet treatment, hoping to earn a commitment or two by the end of the weekend. This strategy has certainly worked out well for Texas during this recruiting cycle.

Nothing helps cap off a good visit quite like a win, though. While the Wolverines dominate the all-time series, the Spartans have won the last two meetings.