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joanna gaines chip gaines kids© Photo: Getty Images

Joanna and Chip Gaines' strapping son turns 20 — see rarely-seen photos displaying athleticism

The Magnolia Network couple's five children are growing up

Hannah Hargrave
US Deputy Editor
February 5, 2025
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Drake Gaines is celebrating his 20th birthday today and leaving his teen years behind him. 

The oldest son of Joanna and Chip Gaines has settled into life as a sophomore at Baylor University, where he's earned himself a place on the college baseball team. 

Drake is front and center on many of the team's Instagram posts giving fans a glimpse into his passion for sport. 

Recommended videoYou may also likeWATCH: Meet Joanna and Chip Gaines' five kids

According to his bio: "Drake is studying business entrepreneurship at UMHB. He played four years of varsity baseball at Valor Preparatory Academy."

His stats read that Drake stands at 5ft 10 and weighs 180lbs. He is the perfect mix of his mom and dad with Joanna's dark hair and Chip's beaming smile. 

Joanna Gaines embraces her oldest son Drake ahead of his move back to college, shared on Instagram© Instagram
Joanna was emotional when Drake left home for college

While he no longer lives at home, Drake's college is in Waco where his famous family reside. 

No doubt, he'll celebrate with his loved ones, including his siblings, Ella, 18, 16-year-old Duke, 15-year-old Emmie Kay, and Crew, six.

Joanna described how her firstborn leaving for college impacted her, in a personal essay for her magazine Magnolia Journal ahead of his departure.

View post on Instagram
 

"In the grand scheme of heartbreaking things, this one comes with a lot of gratitude and excitement," she wrote at the time, though noted: "Still, my first child is moving away, and our family dynamic will change because of it, and that can feel like a loss of its own.

"I catch glimpses now of what that life will look like and wonder if — or how many times — that might bring me to the floor."

View post on Instagram
 

However, she's slowly getting used to her kids growing and now four of the five are behind the wheel of a car too. 

 "I stalk them on the app Life360!" she told People before she noted that the popular tracking app "tells you how fast they're going."

Photo shared by Joanna Gaines on Instagram in honor of Father's Day 2024 of her husband Chip Gaines with their three sons© Instagram
Chip with his three sons

While it is "sad" to see them leaving home one by one, Joanna is proud of them. 

 "They're just turning into these wonderful human beings.

"My favorite thing is seeing them hanging out in a restaurant together as friends. Because when they were younger I was always monitoring their fights, and now they’re dear friends, which is so cool."

Chip and Joanna Gaines hold hands on the red carpet© Getty Images
The couple have their hands full but love family life

She added: "Knowing that [the older kids] will be gone in the next few years, I've made a conscious decision to create micro-moments, to feel in the now with our family, just be really more intentional with our time together."

Baseball is a shared passion for the family as Chip was recruited to play for Baylor University, but the coach who called him up retired. 

"Baseball got me in the front door at Baylor," the HGTV star told Baylor Magazine. "As God would have it, I was not destined to be the next great baseball player, but I was destined to enjoy Baylor University and the dear friends that I met there."

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