Florida trending for 4-star safety Hylton Stubbs

The race for Jacksonville Mandarin four-star safety Hylton Stubbs includes many high-profile programs. Entering the spring, however, one in-state program is currently trending for his pledge.

Florida is less than 100 miles from Stubbs and the Gators have had him on campus more than any other school thus far in his recruitment. Persistency from Billy Napier and the UF staff have them ahead in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) with a 93% edge for the 6-foot-2, 175-pounder.

On Tuesday, Florida insiders Corey Bender and Keith Niebuhr, as well as On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons all logged picks in favor of the Gators landing Stubbs. Defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong is leading the charge for Florida, while Napier is also keeping contact.

“The more I talk to them, the better relationships I’ve built and I’ve had better conversations with them,” Stubbs previously told On3’s Chad Simmons. “I’ll talk with coach Napier a lot … Florida probably talks with me the most.” 

Stubbs’ number of trips to Gainesville is well into the double digits. He made a plethora of stops on campus in 2023, has already been back for a Junior Day visit in 2024 and has locked in an official visit at the beginning of June.

USC, Florida State and Miami are also set for OVs with Stubbs, but the competition appears to be chasing Florida entering the spring. The elite DB is a top target as the Gators push for another top-notch recruiting class.

Stubbs is the No. 68 overall prospect and No. 7 safety in the 2025 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 8 player in Florida.

Florida Class Breakdown

Just four prospects are committed to the Gators thus far, but three are blue-chip (four or five-star) recruits and all four hail from The Sunshine State or Georgia.

Three of the four commits have joined the fold in 2024. Headlining the quartet is Tallahassee (Fla.) James Rickards four-star defensive lineman Jalen Wiggins. The lone top-100 prospect in the class thus far, Wiggins is also a top-10 player at his position and one of the best in his home state.

Wiggins’ commitment came just one day after Atlanta Woodward three-star wide receiver Josiah Abdullah, who chose the Gators while also holding offers from the likes of Tennessee, Alabama, LSU, Texas and more.

Tampa Plant four-star running back Waltez Clark is the longest-running commit in the fold for Napier and Co. He opted to pledge in September and is just outside the top 200 in the On3 Industry Ranking overall. The newest member of the class is Fort Valley (Ga.) Houston County four-star interior offensive lineman Peyton Joseph, a top-125 recruit who committed on Feb. 18.