GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Jones Ramsey has been dead for 20 years. Still, this time of year, the longtime University of Texas sports publicist comes to mind for his most famous quip.

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.”

According to Tyler Miles, Florida’s director of strength and conditioning, McClain has put in the work in the weight room. Miles said McClain (6-foot-1.5, 182 pounds) has added 20 pounds and continues to fly on the field (up to 23 mph in drills).

McClain’s backstory is worthy of a documentary or TMZ episode, depending on your perspective. A top recruit in the 2023 class from Lakeland, Fla., McClain flirted with Miami and Florida but signed with Colorado. He started four games as a freshman but did not mesh with high-profile Colorado coach Deion Sanders, one of the greatest cornerbacks in the game’s history.

McClain arrived at Florida last summer as a walk-on, a reclamation project needing a second opportunity. Napier gave him one with conditions: buy into the UF program or get out. McClain stuck around, made strides and even got onto the field in three games, returning an interception for a touchdown against Kentucky.

McClain’s commitment to the Gators earned him a commitment from the Gators: a scholarship. The door is wide open for McClain to make a statement in the secondary with defensive backs Dijon Johnson, Sharif Denson, Aaron Gates and Jameer Grimsley limited in camp.

“Cormani has been phenomenal,” Miles said. “And not just putting on weight. He has conducted himself extremely well. I’m extremely proud of Cormani McClain. He just knows what to expect. He knows that he can’t be late to anything. He knows he’s got to be professional. His life is going to be a lot easier if you conduct yourself properly, and he really has.”

If McClain keeps up the good work, expect to hear more about him as camp progresses and when the Gators reconvene in summer.

In a season in which no player is more important to Florida’s fortunes than sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway, McClain has grabbed the spotlight away from the physically limited Lagway. That is an accomplishment in itself.

Still, as we’ve seen so many times, being a star in spring camp stories and a star on Saturdays are as different as Deion Sanders and Billy Napier.

That has not changed since the day long ago Ramsay made his famous quip about spring football.