FSU and SEC schools impressing four-star Florida 2025 DB Drake Stubbs
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
Hylton “Drake” Stubbs (6-2, 186) was all over the field for Mandarin High School (Jacksonville, Fla.) last season blowing up running backs down the alley and swiping hopeful passes from the opposition. The do all safety has pushed his offer total to 25 over the summer months with new opportunities being extended from Georgia, Texas A&M, and Alabama. An in-state mainstay is still high up on Stubbs’ private list, but a small group of SEC squads are making an impact.
Recent visits had Stubbs crisscrossing back-and-forth between SEC and ACC territories.
“I’ve been to Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, Florida State, Alabama, Texas A&M, and Clemson,” Stubbs stated.
Asked which were the most influential of his recent visits, Stubbs replied, “Definitely Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, Tennessee too. Those four were schools I really like the most right now.”
Stubbs added, “SEC schools are the most impressive right now.”
The long history of development in Tuscaloosa has Stubbs looking seriously at the Crimson Tide.
“Bama, they’re like a factory for getting kids to the league,” Stubbs shared. “I would want to be there for that reason alone. They get kids to the league like there is no tomorrow. That is my goal, to get to the league.”
Asked which of the teams he has the best current relationship with, Stubbs shared, “Probably Florida. I have a pretty good relationship with Florida right now. I talk to Florida a lot.”
Stubbs continued sharing who on the Gators’ staff he’s communicating with the most.
“Probably coach (Austin) Armstrong (DC),” Stubbs said. “I talk to coach Armstrong and coach TJ (Tiger Jones), I talk to those two a lot.”
The thing that separates UF from the crowd dates to childhood for Stubbs.
“I’ve always been a Florida fan, since when I was a kid,” Stubbs stated. “Seeing the love they are giving to me, I’m trying to show the same love back.”
The personal relationship between Volunteers’ secondary coach Willie Martinez and Stubbs has the four-star looking strongly at being in Knoxville.
“Coach Martinez, I really like coach Martinez, and I really like coach (Josh) Heupel,” Stubbs shared. “But I really like coach Martinez. Every time I talk to him it is always a great conversation. He’s always asking about my family, asking how I am doing, and asking about my academics. I really like coach Martinez; he’s really been a rock for me.”
The June trip to Athens for a camp netted an offer and positive feedback from head coach Kirby Smart.
“Coach Fran (Brown – DB) was telling me, “I talked to coach Kirby, you have your offer”, and stuff like that,” Stubbs said. “After that I talked to coach Kirby, he said, “you are a great player, and we’d love to offer you.” I was like, ‘thank you!’ I was happy. We went to get something to eat in Atlanta, it was pretty cool after that. Then we hit the road going back to Jacksonville.”
The push along the recruiting trail from the SEC squads has not taken a deep-rooted relationship with Florida State away from Stubbs.
“Yes, of course, Florida State is still a program that I am very interested in; my brother is still there,” Stubbs explained. “I talk to Florida State a lot. They are definitely high up there for me.”
The next visit on the schedule for Stubbs is a return to Gainesville on July 29 for a Gators’ BBQ.
*Click the link for the April 19 RNG interview with Drake Stubbs.