Tennessee football is seemingly making the addition of an elite running back in the 2027 class a priority. One of the top recruits on the board for the Vols is four-star running back Andrew Beard. Now, he’s down to four schools, including Tennessee.
According to Hayes Fawcett, Beard is now just considering UT, Clemson, Florida and Georgia. This list is a bit different than his list of five schools from November. Then, he named Tennessee, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma and Alabama.
He is ranked as the No. 63 player in the 2027 cycle on 247. The site also places him as the No. 4 running back and No. 6 player from the state of Georgia in its rankings. He plays for Prince Avenue Christian School out of Bogart, Georgia.
NEWS: Four-Star RB Andrew Beard is down to 4 Schools, he tells me for @Rivals
The 5’10 195 RB from Bogart, GA is ranked as the No. 6 RB in the ‘27 Class (per Rivals Industry)
Where Should He Go?https://t.co/xijhQw1Act pic.twitter.com/x51uYDPTH7
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) February 9, 2026
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Beard was on campus for a game day visit when Tennessee hosted Georgia for its ‘Checker Neyland’ game. While the Vols lost in overtime to the Bulldogs, it still left a positive impression on him.
“Enjoyed being back at Tennessee!,” Beard wrote on X. “Love how Tennessee and (running back coach DeRail Sims) use the RBs! Great Gameday visit and Neyland is definitely the loudest stadium!”
Beard currently stands at 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, according to 247. His father, Jerry Beard Sr., was a running back at Appalachian State from 2000-02. His uncle, Garrison Hearst, was a running back for Georgia, who finished third for the Heisman Trophy in 1992. Hearst was also a two-time Pro Bowl selection in the NFL.
Tennessee already holds four commitments in the 2027 class. This includes four-star tackle Princeton Uwaifo, four-star defensive lineman Kadin Fife, three-star linebacker JP Peace and three-star cornerback Kamauri Whitfield. The class is still young, though, and plenty more commitments are expected to trickle in over the next year.
