State’s No. 2 RB prospect, Andrew Beard, commits to Florida
Andrew Beard just added some more teeth to the 2027 recruiting class in Gainesville.
Beard, the state’s No. 2 RB prospect for the 2027 cycle, just announced his commitment to join a fast-rising Florida program under first-year coach Jon Sumrall.
With his decision, the Gators now have the nation’s No. 5 class on the 247Sports team rankings.
“For the next three or four years, I’ll be committing to the University of Florida, man,” he said. “Go Gators.”
The 4-star Prince Avenue Christian running back shared his decision live in a streaming ceremony hosted by 247Sports. His choice came down to Florida or Clemson. He told the Florida coaching staff about his decision Monday.
“For me, it was really about development and which school would help me get to my end goal of making it to the NFL,” he said.
Georgia and Tennessee were his other two finalists. Beard, the nephew of former Georgia All-American Garrison Hearst, had considered the Bulldogs strongly for an extended time. That said, his decision was at least partially influenced by the fact UGA already has two RB prospects committed for this class.
That includes 5-star Pennsylvania RB Kemon Spell. Spell is widely regarded as the nation’s No. 1 RB prospect for the 2027 cycle.
Beard, a 5-foot-10, 197-pound rising senior, is ranked as the nation’s No. 9 RB and the No. 154 overall prospect on the 247Sports Composite. The Rivals Industry Ranking has him as the nation’s No. 9 RB, but No. 165 overall recruit.
Beard told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution this week he just felt it was time to make his move. He wanted to make sure he locked down his spot in a program he saw himself thriving in.
“Nothing special about the date,” he said. “Just ready for it to be over.”
The Gators are getting a tailback who will excel on third down. Beard had a sensational sophomore year in 2024, rushing for 1,937 yards and 21 touchdowns on 8.7 yards per carry. He also added an additional 525 yards and five touchdowns on his 32 receptions.
His two-year tally with the Wolverines stands at 3,229 rushing yards, 975 receiving yards and 44 total touchdowns. Prince Avenue Christian coach Jon Richt shared the scouting report on Beard last fall.
“Vision and his burst,” Richt said. “Then his one-cut movements are pretty exceptional. He’s a patient running back who’s able to see things, and when he sees it, he can set it up and stick his foot in the ground and go and be through the hole before you really know what’s going on. His ability to do those things in combination really makes him as special as he is.”
Beard’s HUDL highlights page lists him with 4.52 speed in the 40.
About the Author
Jeff Sentell covers UGA football and recruiting. He is a graduate of UGA's Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and has been a staff writer at news outlets in Alabama, Georgia and Virginia. Prior to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, he was at The Birmingham News and AL.com. He was named the 2005 Georgia Press Association Sportswriter of the Year.
