Coach’s take on Miami commit Hylton Stubbs: “He’s a true full-field safety”
Over the last two seasons, Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin four-star safety and Miami commit Hylton Stubbs has established himself as one of the top prospects in the country.
Since Stubbs arrived at Mandarin High School, Mustangs head coach Toby Bullock has had a front-row seat watching Stubbs work tirelessly to get where he is today.
“He doesn’t really have bad days,” Bullock told CaneSport. “I don’t mean as far as execution, but attitude-wise. He’s upbeat and enjoys practice. He is a football player in every sense of the word. He loves playing the game of football and is excited to be there every single day. It doesn’t matter if it’s a practice or a game. You’re going to get the juice from him. That’s his greatest quality.”
In Duval County, Stubbs has made a name for himself as one of the most physical athletes in the area, standing at 6-foot-2, 175 pounds. Bullock believes that is only the tip of the iceberg when you take a deep dive into Stubbs’ game.
“A lot of people up here in Jacksonville look at him as a thumper,” Bullock said. “But his greatest gift is probably his range. He is a true full-field safety. If you’re in a cover 1, or 3, he can cover so much ground quickly. When you’re on offense, you tempo your passes by saying one ball, which is a lightning bullet, a two ball which has a nice arch or three ball which is pretty high. If you throw a three ball on Drake Stubbs, he’s going to get it. You just can’t do those types of throws on him because he’s going to have too much time to make up ground and get there.”
A prime example of just how versatile Stubbs can be was displayed during the Florida High School 4A state semi-final game against Monarch last December. In the matchup, the Miami commit picked off two interceptions and returned an 80-plus-yard fumble to the end zone to cap off a 51-21 win.
“That game against Monarch, they had two elite wide receivers,” Bullock said. “I think early on when he got that first interception where it looked like it was going to be a one-on-one battle and he came and out of nowhere and took it, I think that set the tone.”
Off the field, Stubbs was described as an energetic person who simply loved the game of football.
“He’s just a fun kid to be around,” Bullock said. “Upbeat and he has a great spirit. He’s got great home support, and when you don’t have to worry about grades and things like that, you just get to coach football and be a mentor for him if he looks at you that way. There’s not a lot of baggage with Drake.”
Earlier this year, Bullock made his way down to Miami for a spring practice, where he had the chance to get a close-up look at the Hurricanes and the way they run things down Coral Gables. After seeing just that, Bullock believes Stubbs will be in great hands at the collegiate level.
“They’re phenomenal coaches, and they’re absolutely welcoming to us,” Bullock said. “Miami seems to care about their kids, and that’s all I care about. I care about the kids getting an education and getting coached well and fairly. When you’re at Miami, you don’t see the players just getting torn apart for no reason; they’re getting coached. Miami seems to have the best interest of the player.”
Although Stubbs has gained national attention during his time at Mandarin, before he goes down to Miami, Bullocks hopes to see him leave a lasting legacy that kids will look to replicate one day.
“I want him to build a legacy that the young kids look to,” Bullock said. “When they get to a leadership role, I want his leadership to be what they’re striving to be. I don’t think he’s hit his leadership capability yet; I think he will. I just want him to have a legacy and standard to which the kids behind him want to put in that same caliber as Drake.”
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