Florida eyeing nephew of Garrison Hearst, blue-chip RB Andrew Beard

Four-star running back Andrew Beard is getting ready to announce his college football commitment on Friday afternoon and the Florida Gators remain firmly in the mix. Beard is one of the top backs in the nation and his recruitment has reportedly come down to finalists Florida , Georgia , Clemson and Tennessee . His interest in the program began when he was recruited by running back coach Chris Foster while he was still at Duke .

A Georgia native, Beard attends Price Avenue Christian School, which is just miles away from Sanford Stadium — where the Bulldogs play their home games. The 5-foot-10-inch, 197-pound athlete has quickly become one of the more closely watched recruits in the southeast region. The 18th-ranked player in the state has family ties to former Georgia running back Garrison Hearst.

Beard's uncle is considered one of the greatest backs to ever play in the SEC, winning SEC Player of the Year, the Doak Walker Award and George Halas Award in 2002; he was also a unanimous All-American the same season. Beard's decision will be key in settling SEC recruiting rankings heading into the summer months. He would be Florida's first running back commitment of the cycle and just the sixth skill position signing under new head coach Jon Sumrall.

Florida has secured commitments from several Georgia targets in recent weeks, with four-star safety Kailib Dillard and four-star quarterback David Davison choosing Gainesville over Athens. The Gators currently sit just three spots ahead of the Bulldogs in the recruiting rankings at No. 6, according to Rivals .