Curious about just how fluid college football recruiting can be?
Hylton Stubbs, the five-star safety out of Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin High School, told Rivals on November 14 he was “riding with Miami” despite the amount of programs working to change his longstanding commitment.
On Sunday, the senior spent some time in Gainesville with his childhood favorite Florida Gators, which happen to be the hottest program in college football recruiting. By Monday, it was no secret that a flip to Billy Napier’s program was in the works.
Stubbs confirmed as much and he now sits as not only a UF verbal commitment, but the highest-rated one at that.
“After an amazing visit to the University of Florida yesterday, I have decided to decommit from Miami and commit to the Gators,” Stubbs told Rivals. “The main reason for this decision is my belief in the football program and the incredible opportunity to compete for a national championship.
“Coach Napier’s vision, leadership, and genuine approach stood out to me, and I’m confident he’s building something special in Gainesville. I’m excited to play for a coach who prioritizes development both on and off the field. Go Gators!”
A top 10 class looks like the floor for the program following a rapid rise up the ranks since mid November.
The Stubbs flip, especially considering the timing of it with just two days remaining until National Signing Day, hits hard in the recruiting world. Not only is he a five-star talent, but the safety tape he has put together as an upperclassman combines with his athletic traits to form a recruit we expect to hit the ground running at the next level. In comparing Miami’s situation to Florida’s, it strikes at a higher level given how UM’s late-season fall was centered on the secondary and its shortcomings.
For Florida, this is as longstanding a recruiting win for Napier as it gets. Stubbs grew up a big Gator fan, yet the program always seemed to be hovering near the top of his list — but rarely No. 1 when the first two verbal commitments went down. However, the staff stuck with it and finally received that late return visit on the heels of its combination of on-field momentum and confidence around Napier’s future.
One could argue that the Stubbs decision is the most critical or telling for UF’s rise up the rankings, given how it missed out on his pledge at multiple stages earlier in the year. Flipping him from an in-state rival who is known to work better on the recruiting trail makes it that much sweeter for the sole SEC school in the Sunshine State.
