Florida Gators football has secured a commitment from four-star running back Andrew Beard, marking a strong start for first-year coach Jon Sumrall. Beard, from Bogart, Georgia, is the first running back in UF's 2027 recruiting class, which is currently ranked sixth nationally.
Key points
Florida Gators land commitment from four-star RB Andrew Beard
Beard is from Prince Avenue Christian School in Bogart, Georgia
He is the first running back commitment for UF's 2027 class
Florida's 2027 recruiting class is ranked sixth nationally
Beard follows other players from his school who transferred to Florida
Mentioned in this story
Bogart, Georgia
Andrew BeardFlorida GatorsAaron PhiloBailey Stockton
Florida football recruiting is off to a promising start under first-year coach Jon Sumrall.
The Florida Gators continued their spring recruiting haul, landing a pledge from four-star running back Andrew Beard on May 8.
Beard is from Prince Avenue Christian School in Bogart, Ga., the same school that produced current UF quarterback Aaron Philo and receiver Bailey Stockton. Both Philo and Stockton transferred from Georgia Tech to Florida in the offseason to follow new UF offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner.
Beard is the first running back commitment and 14th commitment overall in UF's 2027 class, which is ranked sixth nationally, per 247Sports.
âWe can get anybody to come visit the University of Florida in America if we do a good job," Sumrall said following UF's spring game. "This is not a really hard place to recruit to.
"Weâre the fifth-ranked public school in the United States of America academically right now. You come outside today, and itâs beautiful. You come to the stadium, and you know the history and pageantry of what it feels like to play in this place. And you know the stadium renovations that are coming. You know the fan base is hungry for a winner."
Sumrall's approach to recruiting is that it needs to be a fit on both sides. He's not going to chase four and five stars just for the sake of chasing four and five stars. Rather, players coming from high school will need to understand what's expected of them when they commit to UF.
"The energyâs real," Sumrall said. "And thereâs authentic relationships. I think we coach every day â weâre not going to change. I tell recruits all the time. If you like us now, youâre gonna love us later. If you donât like me now, go somewhere else, because Iâm not changing. What you seeâs what you get. If you want to come improve your craft every day, itâs gonna be a blast. If youâre tough and love football, itâs gonna be a blast. If youâre soft and you like football, donât come here.â
Q&A
Who is Andrew Beard and where is he from?
Andrew Beard is a four-star running back from Prince Avenue Christian School in Bogart, Georgia.
What is the significance of Andrew Beard's commitment to Florida football?
Beard's commitment is significant as he is the first running back in Florida's 2027 recruiting class, contributing to a strong start under coach Jon Sumrall.
How does Florida's 2027 recruiting class rank nationally?
Florida's 2027 recruiting class is currently ranked sixth nationally according to 247Sports.
Which other players from Beard's school have joined Florida?
Andrew Beard's school has also produced current Florida quarterback Aaron Philo and receiver Bailey Stockton, who both transferred from Georgia Tech.
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Here's a look at UF's commitments so far for the 2027 class under Sumrall.
Florida football recruiting Class of 2027 so far
Andrew Beard RB
School/Hometown: Prince Avenue Christian School/Bogart, Ga.
Height/Weight: 5-10, 197
Rating: Four-star
The Skinny: Beard finished his junior season with 155 carries for 1,260 yards (8.1 yards per carry) and 12 TD while also catching 29 passes for 435 yards and 5 TDs. He's the 8th-rated running back and 165th rated player nationally, per 247 Sports. Beard chose Florida over offers from Georgia, Clemson, Tennessee and Alabama.
Stive-Bentley Keumajou DL
School/Hometown: Coral Gables HS/Coral Gables
Height/Weight: 6-3, 295
Rating: Three-star
The Skinny: Born in England, Keumajou moved to the U.S. in 2025 and in his first high school season at Coral Gables played on both lines of scrimmage, Keumajou also kicked and punted at Coral Gables and played soccer and basketball. He's rated as the 37th-best defensive line recruit in the 2027 class and 29th-best player in Florida and chose UF over offers from Miami, Auburn, Georgia and Syracuse.
Elijah Hutcheson OL
School/Hometown: North Cross School/Roanoke, Virginia
Height/Weight: 6-6, 256
Rating: Four-star
The Skinny: Hutcheson is the 15th overall rated offensive tackle in the Class of 2027, per 247Sports, and the 110th ranked player nationally. He chose Florida over Clemson, Virginia Tech and Vanderbilt.
Kailib Dillard DB
School/Hometown: Jenks HS/Jenks, Oklahoma
Height/Weight: 6-0, 175
Rating: Three-star
The Skinny: Dillard is the 112th overall rated safety in the Class of 2027, per 247Sports, and the 446th ranked player nationally. He chose Florida over Georgia and Oregon.
Peyton Miller OL
School/Hometown: Anna HS/Anna, Texas
Height/Weight: 6-5, 290
Rating: Four-star
The Skinny: Miller is the eighth-rated interior offensive lineman in the Class of 2027, per 247Sports, and the 143rd ranked player nationally. He chose Florida over Texas, SMU, Arizona State and Clemson.
De'Voun Kendrick DL
School/Hometown: Carrollwood Day School/Tampa
Height/Weight: 6-4, 275
Rating: Three-star
The Skinny: Kendrick is coming off a junior season that included 28 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and 1 forced fumble. Per 247Sports, Kendrick is the 58th-rated defensive lineman in the 2027 class and the 41st-rated player in Florida. He chose Florida over offers from Louisville, Arkansas, Auburn and Boston College.
Anthony Jennings WR
School/Hometown: Dillard HS/Fort Lauderdale
Height/Weight: 6-0, 165
Rating: Three-star
The Skinny: Jennings is coming off a junior season at Dillard High that included 34 catches for 823 yards and 11 TDs. He's the 55th rated receiver in the 2027 class and the 35th-best player in the state of Florida per 247Sports. He chose Florida over offers from Maryland, Auburn, Florida State and Boston College.
Maxwell Hiller OL
School/Hometown: Coatesville Area HS/Coatesville, Pa.
Height/Weight: 6-5, 300
Rating: Five-star
The Skinny: Hiller is the top-rated left tackle recruit and fourth-rated player overall in the 2027 class, per 247Sports. He's the first five-star offensive line recruit Florida has landed since Martez Ivey in 2015. Hiller chose Florida over offers from Alabama, Tennessee, Cincinnati and Clemson.
Amare Nugent DB
School/Hometown: American Heritage HS/Plantation, Fla.
Height/Weight: 5-11, 178
Rating: Four-star
The Skinny: Nugent is rated as the 15th-best cornerback and 117th best player overall in the 2027 class, per 247Sports. He chose UF over offers from LSU, Notre Dame, Boston College and Auburn. As a sophomore, Nugent was part of a 4x100 relay squad that captured a Florida 3A track and field championship.
Tramond Collins WR
School/Hometown: Cottondale HS/Cottondale, Fla.
Height/Weight: 6-2, 183
Rating: Four-star
The Skinny: Collins is the fourth-rated athlete and 111th overall-rated player in the 2027 class, per 247Sports. He chose Florida over offers from Georgia, Alabama, Florida State and Auburn. As a sophomore at Cottondale HS in 2024, Collins was a dual-threat offensive star, totaling 1,063 yards of offense (661 yards rushing and 402 yards receiving) and 15 TDs (9 TD rushing and 6 TD receiving).
The Skinny: Ranked as the 13th-best quarterback and 220th best player nationally, per 247Sports. Chose Florida over offers from Auburn, Arkansas, California and Colorado. Davidson posted a 14-1 record as a first-year starter in 2025, leading Cardinal Mooney to a Florida 2A championship. He finished his junior season completing 137 of 212 passes for 2,360 yards with 23 TDs and 6 interceptions and displayed dual-threat ability, carrying the ball 18 times for 81 yards with 3 TDs.
Jackson Ballinger TE
School/Hometown: Centerburg HS/Centerburg, Ohio
Height/Weight: 6-4, 225
Rating: three-star
The Skinny: Ballinger is rated as the 21st-best tight end and 417th best player nationally in the 2027 class, per 247Sports. He chose Florida over offers from Arizona State, Cincinnati, Auburn and Arkansas.
Tommy Douglas TE
School/Hometown: The Hun School/Princeton, N.J.
Height/Weight: 6-4, 235
Rating: three-star
The Skinny: Douglas is the 17th-rated tight end recruit in the 2027 class and the 413th rated player nationally, per 247Sports and 247Sports composite. He chose Florida over offers from Pittsburgh, Tennessee, South Carolina and UCLA. Douglas finished his junior season at the Hun School in 2025 with 33 catches for 640 yards and 7 TDs.
Aamaury Fountain DB
School/Hometown: Northside HS/Warner Robbins, Ga.
Height/Weight: 6-3,190
Rating: three-star
The Skinny: Rated as the 26th best cornerback and 195th best overall recruit in the 2027 class, per 247Sports. Flipped commitment from South Carolina and also had offers from Alabama, Auburn and BYU. Recorded 32 tackles, 4 interceptions, 1 tackle for loss, 1 forced fumble and double-digit pass breakups in his junior season at Northside in 2025.
Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville SunâsFloridabeat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1.