8:29 PM ET

Deion Sanders and Colorado flipped five-star cornerback Cormani McClain from Miami on Thursday, giving Sanders his first five-star as the Buffaloes’ coach.

McClain, ESPN’s No. 4 prospect overall, is the highest-ranked recruit Colorado has brought in since ESPN began ranking players in 2006. He had been committed to the Hurricanes since October and was originally planning to sign with Miami in the early signing period in December, but abruptly decided to wait once Sanders was hired at Colorado.

McClain’s mother tweeted on the first day of the early signing period that there would be a change of plans and McClain would wait to sign his national letter of intent. Sanders continued to pursue the No. 1 corner in the class, even getting McClain to do snow angels on a visit to Colorado.

McClain made the flip official on Thursday, when he announced he would play for Sanders. It’s the second year in a row that Sanders has flipped a five-star cornerback, with McClain joining Travis Hunter, who switched from Florida State to Jackson State in the 2022 class.

Hunter followed Sanders to Colorado, transferring during the offseason. Now Sanders will have another talented player in the secondary. McClain is a 6-foot-2, 165-pound recruit from Lakeland, Florida, and is the No. 1 prospect in the state.

He’s the third ESPN 300 prospect in the 2023 class for Sanders, which is more than Colorado has had in the past two classes combined.

At his introductory meeting with the team, Sanders promised he would bring in his own players and more talent to help improve the program. He has done that with McClain, as well as Hunter and his son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, among others in the transfer portal.

McClain has verbally committed to Colorado but won’t be able to sign a national letter of intent until the February signing period.