Tag: Hylton Stubbs

Blue-chip safety Hylton Stubbs signs with Florida after flip from Miami

Florida earned a surprise flip from blue-chip safety Hylton Stubbs on Monday, prying him away from Miami. He signed on Wednesday morning to make things official.

Mandarin (Jacksonville, Florida) safety [autotag]Hylton Stubbs[/autotag] signed with the Florida Gators at 10:20 a.m. on Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period.

Stubbs flipped from his Miami commitment on Monday, two days before signing day. He spent Sunday in Gainesville and informed coaches of his decision. Initially, Stubbs pledged his services to USC and then flipped to Miami over the summer before finally landing with Florida. He noted the Gators’ improved defensive performances at the end of the season as a major reason for his decision.

He is an expected January enrollee who figures to make an impact early in his tenure with the Gators. A four-year varsity athlete, Stubbs recorded 286 total tackles (198 solo), 22.5 tackles for loss, 21 interceptions, 11 pass deflections, four fumble recoveries and 3.5 sacks at Mandarin.

Stubbs is a threat against the pass and the run who can line up in the box or up high. He’s a strong tackler who enjoys contact but lacks top-end speed. That profile could land him at the STAR position for Florida, or at least in a hybrid role to best utilize his skillset.

Recruiting Summary

Stubbs is a consensus four-star recruit who has earned a fifth star from Rivals, which ranks him 23rd overall in the class of 2025. The 247Sports composite, which considers all four major recruiting services, has him at No. 57 nationally and No. 5 among safeties in the class, while the On3 industry ranking puts him at Nos. 58 and 4, respectively.

“Well-rounded safety prospect that can defend the pass and the run. Added some good mass between junior and senior seasons and doesn’t appear to be done maturing,” 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins wrote in a June report. “Has experience working in a variety of different alignments and can likely do the same at the next level as he’s a spirited competitor in the box and alert in coverage.

“Strikes people as a tackler, oftentimes exploding through the hips. Tracks the football well on the backend and has the ball skills to come down with takeaways. Isn’t the type of defender that’s going to win a ton of foot races, but has the short-area quickness to correct some mistakes.

“Projects as a potential multi-year impact defender at the Power Four level that can add value in a variety of different ways as he can match tight ends, cut down run lanes, and get home on the blitz. Likely to find most success in an aggressive scheme that wants to move him around and put him in position to make plays. NFL upside with his physicality.”

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Gators move into top 10 with flip of 4-star S Hylton Stubbs from Miami

The flips don’t stop for the Florida Gators, who are now poised to sign a top-10 recruiting class with the addition of four-star safety Hylton Stubbs.

The latest flip for the Florida Gators is a big one.

Former Miami commit and four-star safety [autotag]Hylton Stubbs[/autotag] flipped to the Orange on Blue on Monday, two days ahead of the early signing period. Stubbs was in Gainesville on Sunday and quietly let coaches know he’d be making this decision., according to Swamp247.

Florida has been recruiting Stubbs since the start of the cycle but lost out to both USC and Miami earlier this year. The Hurricanes flipped him in July, but the Gators never stopped recruiting him.

“After an amazing visit to the University of Florida yesterday, I have decided to decommit from Miami and commit to the Gators. The main reason for this decision is my belief in the football program and the incredible opportunity to compete for a national championship,” Stubbs said to On3’s Chad Simmons.

Florida’s resurgence on the defensive end of the course of the season played a big role in the decision. So did Billy Napier’s “vision, leadership and genuine approach.”

Following the addition of Stubbs, Florida is now ranked No. 10 in the 247Sports team recruiting rankings and No. 11 in the On3 industry team rankings.

Recruiting Summary

Stubbs is a consensus four-star recruit who has earned a fifth star from Rivals, which ranks him 23rd overall in the class of 2025. The 247Sports composite, which considers all four major recruiting services, has him at No. 57 nationally and No. 5 among safeties in the class, while the On3 industry ranking puts him at Nos. 58 and 4, respectively.

“Well-rounded safety prospect that can defend the pass and the run. Added some good mass between junior and senior seasons and doesn’t appear to be done maturing,” 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins wrote in a June report. “Has experience working in a variety of different alignments and can likely do the same at the next level as he’s a spirited competitor in the box and alert in coverage.

“Strikes people as a tackler, oftentimes exploding through the hips. Tracks the football well on the backend and has the ball skills to come down with takeaways. Isn’t the type of defender that’s going to win a ton of foot races, but has the short-area quickness to correct some mistakes.

“Projects as a potential multi-year impact defender at the Power Four level that can add value in a variety of different ways as he can match tight ends, cut down run lanes, and get home on the blitz. Likely to find most success in an aggressive scheme that wants to move him around and put him in position to make plays. NFL upside with his physicality.”

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Who will land USC decommit Hylton Stubbs?

A Florida-based school might get Hylton Stubbs.

The top of the USC football recruiting class has fallen apart with five-star prospecs Isaiah Gibson and Justus Terry backing off their pledges from the Trojans. Now four-star safety Hylton Stubbs of Mandarin High School in Jacksonville has changed his mind about attending USC as well.

Stubbs wrote:

Dear Coach Riley,

After careful consideration, prayer, and reflection, I have decided to decommit from the University of Southern California. This decision was not made lightly, and it comes after thoughtful discussions with my family and mentors. I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Coach Riley, Coach Lynn, Coach Belk, Coach Mayes, Coach Baw and the entire USC staff for their unwavering support and for offering me the incredible opportunity to join the Trojan family. I am truly grateful for the kindness and belief you have shown in me.

Presently, I feel it is best for me to explore other options to ensure I find the perfect fit for my future both academically and athletically. This journey has been a valuable experience, and I am excited to see what the future holds.

Thank you to everyone at USC for understanding and supporting my decision. Fight On!

Stubbs is getting heavily recruited in his home state with both Florida and Miami getting official visits this summer.

“They’re very close to home,” Stubbs told On3 earlier this month. “They have shown interest in me forever. They’re still pushing for me, so I’m definitely interested in people that are very interested in me.”

Stubbs is the nation’s No. 56 overall prospect, No. 5 safety and No. 7 recruit from Florida in the 2025 cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking.

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Florida defensive back target backs off USC commitment

Florida was in a good position with four-star safety Hylton Stubbs before he committed to USC in March. Now he’s back on the market.

Just two weeks removed from his trip to the University of Florida, Mandarin High (Jacksonville) safety [autotag]Hylton Stubbs[/autotag] has decommitted from the University of Southern California.

Stubbs posted a decision letter to social media before deleting it. He has since reposted stories confirming his departure from the program.

“Presently, I feel it is best for me to explore other options to ensure I find the perfect fit for my future both academically and athletically,” Stubbs said. “This journey has been a valuable experience, and I am excited to see what the future holds.”

Florida and Miami are the two favorites to land Stubbs after hosting him on official visits. Stubbs indicated that Florida would be in the race until signing day after leaving Gainesville.

Recruiting Summary

Stubbs is a consensus four-star recruit ranked as high as No. 27 overall in the class of 2025 by Rivals. Both the On3 industry ranking and 247Sports composite have him at No. 56 nationally and at Nos. 6 and 7, respectively, among safeties in the class.

Florida is on top of the On3 recruiting prediction machine with 63.3% odds of signing Stubbs, followed by Miami with 33.2% chances.

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USC football now has its third de-commit this month

USC football has lost three top recruits this month.

Three de-commits in the span of nine days is a worrisome trend for USC football. The latest came on Thursday from four-star Hylton Stubbs.

The loss of Stubbs, a four-star at Mandarin (Jacksonville, Florida), is especially tough for USC given how highly ranked the player is – Stubbs is the No. 17 safety prospect in the nation.

Part of what is happening is natural for a blueblood program such as USC. The Trojans are recruiting at a high level and all of the de-commits were players with strong offer lists.

That means that, despite their verbals, these types of players will be in demand. High risk, but a high reward for USC. They will lose some players, like they have this past month.

But they will, under head coach Lincoln Riley, win many of these battles in the coming weeks.

Here are the three de-committed players from USC this month:

  • Isaiah Gibson, a five-star defensive lineman from Georgia (June 18)
  • Justus Terry, a five-star defensive lineman from Georgia (June 19)
  • And then Stubbs de-committed on Thursday (June 27)

Underscoring how much this stings for USC is that all three recruits were top 100 players in the nation according to 247Sports. Gibson (No. 12 prospect in the nation) and Terry (No. 17).

Stubbs is the No. 99 player in the nation.

 

As for their current recruits, USC has the No. 31 recruiting class in the nation. Their top commit, Julian Lewis, has been doing a dance with a number of top programs around the nation including Auburn and Colorado.

Steve Wiltfong, a national recruiting analyst at On3, believes that Lewis is more likely to stick to his commit to USC. Lewis is a five-star and the No. 16 recruit in the nation.

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Florida Gators make strong push to flip USC defensive back commit

Florida is making a run at USC commit Hylton Stubbs.

The world of recruiting at USC football is uncertain. The Trojans are trying to build something for the future, but in the meantime, they are dealing with the fallout from an 8-5 season in 2023. That has hampered their recruiting efforts to an extent. Other schools feel emboldened enough to try to flip USC commits such as Hylton Stubbs, a four-star defensive back. The Florida Gators are making a run at Stubbs.

Gators Wire has more on Florida’s recruitment of Stubbs in spite of his commitment to USC:

“Four-star defensive back Hylton Stubbs out of Jacksonville (Florida) Mandarin in the 2025 cycle had originally arranged an official visit date with the Gators for the weekend of June 7. However, those plans were nixed, leaving the Orange and Blue in the lurch.

“The good news is that Stubbs now plans to make his official visit the following weekend starting on June 14, according to Gators Online.”

June is a big month in recruiting. We will see how effective Florida’s efforts prove to be.

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Four-star USC DB commit reschedules official visit with Florida

Billy Napier and Co. can breathe deeply now that this blue-chip prospect rescheduled his official visit date.

A slight change in plans for Florida football’s official visit schedule was made on Monday evening.

Four-star defensive back [autotag]Hylton Stubbs[/autotag] out of Jacksonville (Florida) Mandarin in the 2025 cycle had originally arranged an official visit date with the Gators for the weekend of June 7. However, those plans were nixed, leaving the Orange and Blue in the lurch.

The good news is Stubbs plans to make his official visit the following weekend starting on June 14, according to Gators Online.

“I know that kind of shook them a little bit,” Stubbs said of his cancellation last week. “But it’s not over. It’s definitely not over. They were coming pretty hard before so it’s hard to up that, but they’ve definitely come a little harder.”

Florida has been in hard pursuit of the high school junior and is among the top schools in contention to flip him from his USC commitment.

“They’ve said they’re going to keep shooting,” he continued. “They say they’re going to do whatever it takes. Like whatever it takes to get me. I feel like that’s a big thing. Because you don’t hear that from a lot of other schools.”

Recruiting Summary

Stubbs is No. 54 overall and No. 6 at his position nationally on the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at No. 63 and No. 7, respectively.

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Top-10 2025 safety from Florida, Hylton Stubbs, becomes USC’s fourth commit for March 24

USC gets more help in the secondary on a huge day of recruiting.

What a haul for USC, and it was just one day. Hylton Stubbs, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound four-star safety, is a legitimate top-10 safety in the 2025 Class. 247Sports (No. 10) and On3 (No. 6) have Stubbs as a top-10 prospect on the board.

Scouts praise his size and football IQ. He will need to bulk up, but if this offseason taught us anything, one winter with Bennie Wylie and Rachel Suba should fix that.

Stubbs echoes a familiar message being vocalized by USC recruits: development.

“I love what the coaches are doing. I love the way they’re sending kids to the league. They have a top safety going to the league,” he said in an interview with 247Sports.

This commitment follows commitments from Justus Terry (a flip from Georgia), Isaiah Gibson, and Dominick Kelly. The Trojans have gotten a lot of work done, and they’re telling everyone that the days of weak defenses and subpar attention to detail on that side of the ball are over.

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Florida football remains on top for blue-chip Jacksonville safety

The Gators are in the lead for this Sunshine State defensive back… for now.

The college football contact period has come and gone but Billy Napier and the Florida football program are still reaping the fruits of their labors from their recent efforts.

One of the prep prospects the Gators have been pressing hard for is four-star safety Hylton Stubbs out of Jacksonville (Florida) Mandarin in the 2025 recruiting cycle. The 6-foot-1-inch, 180-pound defensive back paid a visit to Gainesville during the recent window and left with a very positive impression of the Orange and Blue.

Now several weeks separated from his stop in Hogtown and following visits with the Miami Hurricanes and USC Trojans, his sentiments remain unwavering.

“I feel like (the Gators) are still my frontrunner,” Stubbs told Swamp247. “There are some schools still shooting for that spot still.”

Co-defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong spearheaded the recruiting efforts early on and other members of the staff have also joined in the fray for the coveted high school junior.

“Just showing me that I am a priority, and recruiting me very heavy,” he said of what he kept Florida on top. “I talk to Coach Will Harris, Coach CJ (Wilford), or Coach (Austin) Armstrong like every single day. I talk to those guys a lot.”

The biggest name joining Armstrong in the blue-chipper’s recruitment is Harris, the newly-acquired secondary coach who has wasted no time since taking over his role.

“He’s definitely recruiting me hard. I really like Coach Harris. I love what he’s doing. He just came from the Chargers, and he’s recruiting me really heavily. He hit the ground running with me. I am loving what he’s doing right now.”

Of course, head coach Billy Napier always has his fingers on the pulse as well.

“He’s really involved,” he noted. “I talk to Coach Napier probably every week or so. Head coaches are very busy, but I talk to Coach Napier personally every week or so. He’s probably the head coach I am the closest with.”

As far as setting up his future itinerary, Stubbs still has a bit of work left to do.

“I would think everything will be figured out in the next week or so. Right now, I am definitely going to get to Tennessee again, Penn State and Georgia. Definitely Florida. I definitely want to take my official visit to Florida. FSU and Miami. USC is another one.”

Stubbs is ranked No. 49 overall and No. 4 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 50 and 4, respectively. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has Florida out front with a 46.3% chance of signing him, followed by FSU (12.0%), Miami (10.3%) and UGA (4.5%).

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4-star Sunshine State safety announces Clemson offer

An elite safety has announced an offer from the Tigers.

Dabo Swinney and the Tigers did an excellent job recruiting in the 2023 class, and they are looking to translate that success into their 2024 and 2025 classes.

Tuesday night, a top-tier safety in the 2025 class, Mandarin High School (Jacksonville, Fla.) four-star Hylton “Drake” Stubbs, announced via Twitter/X that he has received an offer from the Tigers. A strong target for this Clemson team that’s secondary has looked great this season.

According to 247Sports composite rankings, Stubbs is the No.5 safety and the No.51 overall player in the 2025 class. He is the No.8 player in the state of Florida, which is well known for producing talent.

We now wait for a further update from Stubbs on whether or not the Tigers make his first cut.