Drake Gaines was raised in a household where television and home remodeling were commonplace.
He grew up surrounded by cameras, Magnolia projects, and the world his parents created in Waco, Texas, as the eldest child of Fixer Upper stars Chip and Joanna Gaines.
However, Drake’s path has changed as an adult.
He is now 21 years old and has been using baseball, colleDrake Gaines was raised in a household that went on to become one of the most well-known brands in American home remodeling. He grew up surrounded by cameras, remodeling projects, and the expanding Magnolia company as the eldest child of Fixer Upper stars Chip and Joanna Gaines.
However, Drake Gaines’s life has progressively shifted away from television as he has aged.
The 21-year-old is currently developing his own identity as a baseball player and college student in Texas. He continues to play baseball while attending the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor to study business entrepreneurship.
Drake Gaines: Who Is He?
The pair behind Magnolia and the popular remodeling series Fixer Upper, Chip and Joanna Gaines, have an eldest kid, Drake Gaines.
As of September 2026, he will be 21 years old, having been born on February 5, 2005. Ella Rose, Duke, Emmie Kay, and Crew are his younger siblings. An outline of the five Gaines children and their ages can be found in PEOPLE’s article on Chip and Joanna Gaines’ offspring.
The history of his parents is likewise connected to his name. According to Yahoo Entertainment’s post on the Gaines children’s names, Chip and Joanna picked “Drake” in honor of the Drake Hotel in New York City, where they spent their honeymoon.
Fans watched the Gaines kids grow up in the backdrop of Fixer Upper for many years. Drake has made sporadic appearances with his parents, but Chip and Joanna have typically made an effort to provide their kids with a life apart from the continual attention that comes with being a famous family.
As Drake and his siblings have grown up, that strategy has become even more apparent.
Where does Drake Gaines attend college?
Drake Gaines attends the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas, where he studies entrepreneurship. According to the university’s official athletics profile, he is a student-athlete and majors in business entrepreneurship.
The official UMHB baseball roster contains the most accurate original source information regarding his college, academic program, and athletic career.
Given his environment, his primary option is very fascinating.
Drake grew raised around Magnolia, his parents’ business empire. Joanna had described him as someone who was interested in the production aspect of the family business long before he was of college age.
Joanna previously mentioned that Drake spends the summers working with the production team and learning about editing. Nicki Swift’s account on Drake’s childhood interests expands on those remarks and his early exposure to the family’s creative job.
That early curiosity does not necessarily imply that he intends to join Magnolia. For now, his schooling allows him to pursue his own interests while keeping connected to the world in which he grew up.
Drake Gaines & College Baseball
College baseball has become one of Drake’s most visible endeavors.
He is an outfielder on the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Crusaders’ baseball team roster. According to the UMHB athletics website, he stands 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 180 pounds.
Drake didn’t just start playing baseball in college.
Prior to entering UMHB, he played varsity baseball for four years at Valor Preparatory Academy in Waco. His official college biography also mentions his past high school baseball experience.
However, his college experience has not been without its challenges.
Drake missed the 2024 season due to an injury. He returned to the field in 2025, making five appearances on the mound. The official UMHB record has him pitching 5.2 innings, allowing five hits, three earned runs, and two strikeouts.
These numbers may be found on the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor’s official Drake Gaines statistics and roster page.
Although his roster position is indicated as outfielder, his 2025 statistics reveal that he also played as a pitcher.
Is Drake Gaines Still Playing Baseball in 2026?
Drake is still listed as a Mary Hardin-Baylor collegiate baseball player in recent coverage for 2026.
Legit.ng highlighted him as a junior, including his collegiate baseball career and business entrepreneurship courses.
The university’s official athletics information remains the most reliable source on his team and playing career.
There is a crucial distinction here since several web publications have loosely used the term “Baylor” while mentioning Drake. According to the official athletics record, his school is the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas.
Drake Gaines’ Life Away From Fixer Upper
Drake’s childhood was atypical in one clear way: his parents’ business life were documented on television.
However, his adult life has been much calmer.
Rather of becoming a regular television personality, Drake has prioritized college, baseball, and his studies.
That is not to say he has vanished from the family lore.
Joanna Gaines said in March 2026 that Drake surprised her by joining the rest of the family on a spring break trip to Colorado. The family spent time skiing, bowling, fishing, playing cards, and relaxing at their mountain house. Drake made a surprise visit during the family vacation, according to TV Insider’s account of the event.
Later in the summer, Joanna and Chip posted more photos of the family together on their Colorado home. TV Insider’s article on the Gaines family’s summer vacation adds perspective to their time together.
Does Drake Gaines Have a Girlfriend?
Drake’s romantic life has largely remained private.
There is, however, some public information about his relationship status.
In an August 2025 interview, Joanna mentioned that Drake had a girlfriend and described the couple enjoying elaborate cooking nights together. TV Insider’s coverage of Joanna’s comments about Drake and his girlfriend discusses the detail.
Joanna did not publicly identify the girlfriend.
That distinction is important because there is no reliable public information establishing her identity.
Drake Gaines and His Sister Ella
Drake and his sister Ella Rose are the two oldest Gaines children, and both have now entered the college stage of life.
While Drake has stayed relatively close to home in Texas, Ella has pursued her own educational path. Joanna has spoken publicly about how difficult it was to see both older children begin lives away from home.
Realtor.com’s report on Joanna’s experience as her older children left home provides additional details about this transition.
Their different college paths also show how the Gaines children are developing individual interests rather than simply following one family blueprint.
Drake has combined business studies with baseball, while his siblings have developed their own interests.
Drake Gaines’ Family
Drake Gaines is the oldest of Chip and Joanna Gaines’ five children. He was born on February 5, 2005, followed by his sister Ella Rose Gaines on October 20, 2006, his brother Duke Gaines on May 23, 2008, and his sister Emmie Kay Gaines on January 5, 2010. The youngest member of the family, Crew Gaines, was born on June 21, 2018. For a broader look at the Gaines children and their family life, PEOPLE’s guide to Chip and Joanna Gaines’ children provides background on all five siblings.
The age difference between Drake and Crew is particularly noticeable, as Drake was already a teenager when his youngest brother was born. Over the years, viewers of Fixer Upper watched the older Gaines children grow up in the public eye, while Crew later joined the family as the much younger sibling.
Where is Drake Today?
As of 2026, Drake Gaines’ life is centered on college, baseball and business studies.
He is 21, attends the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, studies business entrepreneurship and has continued his connection to college baseball. His official UMHB athletics profile provides the primary-source information about his academic and athletic background.
He also remains connected to his family.
Recent family trips shared by Joanna show Drake returning home and spending time with his parents and siblings, even though he is now living the more independent life that comes with being a college student. TV Insider’s report on the Gaines family’s 2026 spring-break reunion offers one recent example.
Perhaps the most interesting part of Drake’s story is that he has grown up without completely stepping into the enormous public role occupied by his parents.
Chip and Joanna Gaines built a recognizable television and business brand around their family. Drake, meanwhile, appears to be taking a quieter route: studying entrepreneurship, playing baseball and gradually establishing an adult life of his own.
For fans who remember him as the little boy appearing on Fixer Upper, the change is striking.
The Gaines family’s oldest child is no longer simply the son viewers watched grow up on television. He is now a 21-year-old college student and athlete, with a future that remains largely his own to shape.
