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Chaparral 2020 RB Darvon Hubbard became a hot SEC recruit

How Chaparral 2020 RB Darvon Hubbard became a hot SEC recruit

By Richard Obert, azcentral sports , 06/12/18, 10:30AM MST

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Chaparral 2020 RB Darvon Hubbard became a hot SEC recruit

Darvon Hubbard still is waiting for that game-changing Ohio State football offer.

But in the meantime, the fast-moving Scottsdale Chaparral recruit is taking off in the SEC.

The 6-foot, 200-pound junior-to-be running back got offers from Alabama and LSU on the same day late in the spring football period in May. He's also picked up Auburn, Georgia, Kentucky and Mississippi State offers.

How did an Ohio transplant suddenly become one of the biggest recruits for SEC schools in a short time?

"I haven't talked to coaches specifically why he's getting offered, but I think it's because he's a bigger back and he's pretty athletic for his size," new Chaparral coach Brent Barnes said.

It's not like Hubbard had a monster sophomore season. In his first year at Chaparral, he ran for a little more than 500 yards (seven yards a carry) and seven touchdowns.

 

Darvon Hubbard picked up Alabama, LSU, Auburn and Georgia offers in a week Richard Obert, azcentral sports

He arrived from Akron, Ohio, to Scottsdale last August.

"Some of them were surprises, like Alabama," Hubbard said of the spring offers. "I'm just staying humble and working.

"They like the way I can start and stop, how I am on the field as a leader, how I'm able to make big plays."

Hubbard is a downhill runner who has moves to break it outside and go the distance.

In a new offense with Barnes and offensive coordinator Tim Kohner directing it, Hubbard figures to go out on a lot of pass routes with junior-to-be quarterback Jack Miller throwing to him.

Miller is rated in the 247 Sports composite rankings as the No. 1 2020 quarterback in the nation.

With so many major colleges coming to Chaparral to see Miller in the spring, Hubbard made a concerted effort to make sure they noticed him.

 

"He is versatile, a bigger back so he's a downhill runner," Barnes said. "But he's athletic enough to catch the ball in space, do different things. We definitely want to get him as many touches as we can, getting him the ball in whatever we are doing.

"Our offense is based on the downhill run game anyway, so he's built for that."

Pac-12 schools Arizona and Utah have noticed Hubbard enough to offer him scholarships.

Hubbard is hoping for an Ohio State offer. He grew up a big Buckeyes fan.

"Hopefully that's coming in the future," he said.