Elite Florida Safety Drake Stubbs Commits to USC
There’s quite a few schools closer to home than USC in hot pursuit of Jacksonville (FL) Mandarin Four-Star Safety Hylton Stubbs, but the Trojans had done everything they could to lock down a pledge from the Top 100 Sunshine State prospect.
On Sunday, Stubbs was the fourth big-time prospect from the heart of SEC country to commit to USC.
Stubbs first visited USC last month and was back on campus Tuesday for Spring Practice No. 1. He was joined by his parents. Stubbs and his family got to spend time with both USC head coach Lincoln Riley and former Trojans QB and Heisman winner Caleb Williams. Plus a a brief meeting and photo opportunity with USC legend and NFL hall of Famer Ronnie Lott.
“Coach (Lincoln) Riley is a key reason for my interest in USC,” Stubbs told On3 last month. “I recently talked to coach Riley on the phone a couple days ago. Then, coach (Doug) Belk came to the school and I was talking to him a lot too. They’re showing a lot of interest in me. They love my film, they love how I play and they say they really like me.”
It felt like a USC commitment was coming for Stubbs since his visit last week, but it really seemed imminent yesterday after he posted on Twitter.
USC visit No. 2 for Stubbs
While the impact of the first USC visit led to the March 19th and scheduling of a May 30 to June 2 official visit, the second unofficial visit opened Stubbs’ eyes a bit wider to the possibility of playing ball on the West Coast.
“My time at USC was pretty awesome,” Stubbs told WeAreSC. “The campus had a great vibe and everyone was really welcoming. The football program was even better than I imagined, especially after chatting with Coach Riley. He had some impressive strategies for the team.
“Plus, the idea of being in L.A. could be a game-changer for me. There are so many opportunities there. Not just in football but also in entertainment and business. Overall, my visit to USC has me feeling really excited about what the future could hold!”
The usual Florida trio — Florida, Florida State and Miami — are all pushing hard for Stubbs, but USC looks to currently be the school with the best chance at pulling him out of the state. He has locked in official visits to all four programs — and his USC OV is set for May 30.
