So, the Clemson Tigers has been doing some work on the recruiting front, and we’ve got some great intel to share.
Enter Andrew Beard, a dazzling running back prospect who has just revealed he’s narrowed down his options. Clemson’s headed to his final four with a few fierce foes like the Georgia Bulldogs, Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers.
It was noted by On3’s Hayes Fawcett, who reported on this buzz.
See Andrew’s announcement!
Standing 5-foot-9, Beard is a very pumped player, with a four-star ranking at no. 63 nationally, No. 4 in his position, and No. 6 in Georgia, according to 247Sports. Dabo and his crew have had their eyes set on Beard for a long time.
He has made five unofficial visits to Clemson in the past three years, but the Tigers only offered him the formal invitation three weeks ago. That makes those who made a strong impression obviously, especially with him still have them in the running! But the route to sign Beard isn’t exactly a straight shot, as is the case in college sports too.
Tennessee and Georgia have a long history in the competition. Georgia turned up for one of his early offers in summer 2023, and Tennessee took us to round seven in May 2023. And there’s Beard’s deep ties to Georgia, don’t forget it. The guy is a real-life guy from Bogart, a stone’s throw from Athens, and he has a pretty big family history behind that program.
Garrison Hearst, his uncle, made the headlines in the early '90s by donning Georgia colors and even being awarded the prestigious Doak Walker Award! He subsequently played an 11-year run in the NFL and currently lives within the College Football Hall of Fame.
His recruiting has never been less than wild. Beard’s traveled to Athens eleven and hiked four times over to Knoxville, both of whom roll out the red carpet like there should be no tomorrow. With that being said, should we chose a frontrunner at the moment, Tennessee may have been the leader.
Up next for Beard is an unofficial visit to Clemson on March 7, where he will be able to check out the team’s annual Elite Retreat. And he’s scheduled to make his official visits next: Clemson first on May 29, followed by Florida on June 4, Georgia on June 12 and Tennessee on June 19.
Here’s the backstory on this growing star:
He kicked off his high school career with a splash as a freshman at Lincoln County High School. In his 11 appearances, he tallied 375 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns and established a name for himself on defense with 75 tackles, a forced fumble, a pass deflection and two picks. Talk about multitasking! Beard had a great start so he moved on to Prince Avenue Christian and that changed everything.
As a sophomore in 2022, he exploded on the field for nearly 2,500 all-purpose yards and 26 touchdowns, averaging an impressive 8.7 yards per carry. He helped lead his squad to a ten-4 record and a shot to the state championship, though they fell to Hebron Christian, losing 56-28. But Beard didn’t leave empty-handed—he earned his spot on a Sophomore All-American First-Team by MaxPreps.
This last season he fell a little in the numbers, but still managed, he is one of the country’s top backs. He put up 1,742 all-purpose yards, 18 touchdowns from 196 offensive touches in 12 games. Look at this one, folks — he’s definitely one to watch!