Four-star running back Andrew Beard, a blue-chip prospect about an hour west of Atlanta, is the subject of what's becoming a serious recruiting battle between Florida and Clemson, with "insiders" on both sides claiming their respective school will get the nod when he makes his announcement on Friday.
Tyler Harden, who covers recruiting for the Florida Gators website on 247Sports, has put a crystal ball in for Florida and seems to be standing by it believing that Jon Sumrall and his staff are in position to land Beard when he declares his intentions.
On Friday, I submitted a Crystal Ball in favor of Florida for 4-star RB Andrew Beard.
— Tyler Harden (@ttjharden8) May 5, 2026
Since then, intel I’ve gathered and conversations with sources have allowed my confidence to only grow.
Here’s the latest ahead of Beard’s decision.
➡️: https://t.co/Blwo3AQpjB (VIP) pic.twitter.com/wVAqs1DVBX
Meanwhile, Austin Hannon, who is the "insider" for Clemson's 247Sports site, believes the Tigers will receive Beard's commitment. Both sides seem to have their reasons for feeling this way, and it probably comes from the respective coaches on each side that they talk to. My experience is that coaches, when it comes to recruits they believe they are going to get, are pretty up front about why they believe that, so it is intriguing if both programs believe they are going to get Beard's commitment. With 48 hours left before Beard makes his announcement, I would expect that new information will come down in the final hours that could paint a picture of clarity.
The latest word on 4-star RB Andrew Beard is good news for Gators
Hannon, over the past few hours, might be standing down on his prediction of Beard to Clemson. He hasn't changed his crystal ball yet, which I think is silly to begin with...I mean your prediction is your prediction, right? If I'm betting on a game, and it's not going the way I want it to, I can't just change it during the game. Some of these guys just need to stand on business.
But it seems like Clemson might be looking at another back and conceding their pursuit of Beard and that would continue this amazing run on the trail for the Gators. We'll see on Friday, but if this news holds up, it serves to be another celebration for Sumrall and another blue-chip prospect in the Gators' best recruiting class in years.
Add us as a preferred source on Google