Clemson Predicted to Land Four-Star Running Back

With a commitment date looming, Clemson is trending toward landing one of its top running back targets in the 2027 class.

Four-star Andrew Beard is now the second Clemson Tigers running back target to receive a crystal-ball prediction to the program. | Kyunnie Shuman/For Savannahnow.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As the offseason deepens, recruiting becomes an increasingly defining stretch, and that's no different when it comes to one of Clemson's priority running back targets.

On Friday morning, Andrew Beard announced that he's set his commitment date for May 8, just a week from now and three weeks before his official visit with the Tigers. He'll choose between Clemson, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee.

🚨NEWS🚨 4-star RB Andrew Beard will announce his commitment on May 8, @ChadSimmons_ reports‼️

Beard will choose between Clemson, Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee.

Read: https://t.co/5W3aZ8o7Zv pic.twitter.com/2Nx1FPsEjt

— Rivals (@Rivals) May 1, 2026

When it comes to where the prognosticators think he's headed, the crystal ball predictions are pointing to two schools: Clemson and Florida.

The first one to come in was from Clemson247's Austin Hannon, who logged his prediction at 10:22 a.m. EST. The latter one came an hour and a half later, at 11:53, when Swamp247's Tyler Harden put his projection in the database.

Clemson has received a 🔮 for 4 ⭐️ RB Andrew Beard. He commits next Friday 👀🐅 pic.twitter.com/PqBzDUv3ph

— Adam (@adamdropsbombs) May 1, 2026

The 5-foot-10, 198-pound running back is rated a four-star prospect and ranks as the No. 153 overall prospect, the No. 9 player at his position and the No. 15 recruit in the state of Georgia, according to 247Sports Composite. 

As mentioned before, Beard has been a priority target since Clemson began recruiting the 2027 class in the summer of 2025, and the relationship dates back to 2023. 

Prior to his freshman season, the stocky back made his second-ever unofficial recruiting trip to Clemson in April 2023. While he wouldn't make it back for another year and a half (October 2024), Beard consistently built a bond with the coaching staff, and that showed as he returned five more times. Most recently, he made two unofficial visits in March, including the annual Elite Retreat.

The only other school that comes close to the Tigers in terms of visits/contact is Georgia, which extended Beard his first-ever offer in the summer of 2023 and has had him on campus 11 times since then. 

Georgia's pull, though, runs even deeper, as Beard is from Bogart — which is about 10 miles from Athens — and is a legacy of the program. 

His uncle, Garrison Hearst, starred in the black, white and red from 1990 to 1992, winning the Doak Walker Award and SEC Player of the Year honors in his final season before becoming a top-three draft pick and an 11-year NFL veteran. Hearst currently sits in the College Football Hall of Fame.

While the Tigers appear to be the front-runner right now, Beard is expected to visit Clemson officially (May 29-31), Florida (June 4), Georgia (June 12) and Tennessee (June 19), giving all three programs enough time to attempt a flip. 

It's also important to note that Tennessee was originally the leader for Beard when he initially released his four finalists in early February, so truly anything can happen, especially since they Volunteers are the closer.

If Clemson walks away without Beard, though, four-star running back Gary Walker — another priority at the position — remains uncommitted and has been crystal-balled to the program by three separate experts.