Jon Sumrall's Gators land RB Andrew Beard, rise to No. 5 in recruiting rankings

GAINESVILLE - Four-star prospect Andrew Beard’s commitment to Florida continued a recent run of recruiting success under head coach Jon Sumrall and his staff.

Beard became the Gators’ first running back in the 2027 class and elevated them three spots to No. 5 in 247Sports composite team rankings.

The Georgia native is rated the nation’s No. 9 player at his position and No. 154 overall. He is the fourth player this week and 14th overall to commit to the Gators.

Offensive tackle Elijah Hutcheson, a 4-star prospect from Roanoke, Virginia, and pair of 3-star defenders, tackle Stive-Bentley Keumajou of Coral Gables and Oklahoma safety Kailib Dillard also committed to Sumrall’s program in the past several days.

The 5-foot-10, 197-pound Beard starred the past two season for Prince Avenue Christian in Bogart, Georgia, the same school that produced Florida quarterback Aaron Philo and receiver Bailey Stockton, a pair of Georgia Tech transfers.

In 26 games in 2024-25, Beard rushed for 3,229 and 34 touchdowns on 387 carries, averaging 8.3 yards and accouting for 16 100-yard games. He also caught 63 passes for 975 yards, averaging 15.5 yards, while scoring 10 touchdowns.

The 2026 Gators are well stocked at running back, but star Jadan Baugh is likely to leave for the NFL after this third season, while Cincinnati transfer Evan Pryor is in his final season of eligibility. East Carolina transfer London Montgomery is a redshirt junior.

Redshirt freshman Duke Clark and Byron Louis are promising entering their first full seasons.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

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This story was originally published May 8, 2026 at 7:05 PM.