{"id":265677,"date":"2026-05-10T13:23:23","date_gmt":"2026-05-10T13:23:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/265677\/"},"modified":"2026-05-10T13:23:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-10T13:23:23","slug":"florida-football-recruiting-update-uf-lands-commitment-from-4-star-rb","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/265677\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida football recruiting update, UF lands commitment from 4-star RB"},"content":{"rendered":"

Florida football<\/a> recruiting is off to a promising start under first-year coach Jon Sumrall.<\/p>\n

The Florida Gators<\/a> continued their spring recruiting haul, landing a pledge from four-star running back Andrew Beard on May 8.<\/p>\n

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<\/a> in the offseason to follow new UF offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner.<\/p>\n

Beard is the first running back commitment and 14th commitment overall in UF’s 2027 class, which is ranked sixth nationally, per 247Sports.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can get anybody to come visit the University of Florida<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

“We\u2019re the fifth-ranked public school in the United States of America academically right now. You come outside today, and it\u2019s 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.”<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

“The energy\u2019s real,” Sumrall said. “And there\u2019s authentic relationships. I think we coach every day \u2014 we\u2019re not going to change. I tell recruits all the time. If you like us now, you\u2019re gonna love us later. If you don\u2019t like me now, go somewhere else, because I\u2019m not changing. What you\u00a0see\u2019s what\u00a0you get. If you want to come improve your craft every day, it\u2019s gonna be a blast. If you\u2019re tough and love football, it\u2019s gonna be a blast. If you\u2019re soft and you like football, don\u2019t come here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here’s a look at UF’s commitments so far for the 2027 class under Sumrall.<\/p>\n

Florida football recruiting Class of 2027 so farAndrew Beard RB<\/p>\n

School\/Hometown: Prince Avenue Christian School\/Bogart, Ga.<\/p>\n

Height\/Weight: 5-10, 197<\/p>\n

Rating: Four-star<\/p>\n

The Skinny: \u00a0Beard 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.<\/p>\n

Stive-Bentley Keumajou DL<\/p>\n

School\/Hometown: Coral Gables HS\/Coral Gables<\/p>\n

Height\/Weight: 6-3, 295<\/p>\n

Rating: Three-star<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Elijah Hutcheson OL<\/p>\n

School\/Hometown: North Cross School\/Roanoke, Virginia<\/p>\n

Height\/Weight: 6-6, 256<\/p>\n

Rating: Four-star<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Kailib Dillard DB<\/p>\n

School\/Hometown: Jenks HS\/Jenks, Oklahoma<\/p>\n

Height\/Weight: 6-0, 175<\/p>\n

Rating: Three-star<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Peyton Miller OL<\/p>\n

School\/Hometown:\u00a0Anna HS\/Anna, Texas<\/p>\n

Height\/Weight:\u00a06-5, 290<\/p>\n

Rating:\u00a0Four-star<\/p>\n

The Skinny:\u00a0Miller 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.<\/p>\n

De’Voun Kendrick DL<\/p>\n

School\/Hometown:\u00a0Carrollwood Day School\/Tampa<\/p>\n

Height\/Weight:\u00a06-4, 275<\/p>\n

Rating:\u00a0Three-star<\/p>\n

The Skinny:\u00a0Kendrick 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.<\/p>\n

Anthony Jennings WR<\/p>\n

School\/Hometown:\u00a0Dillard HS\/Fort Lauderdale<\/p>\n

Height\/Weight:\u00a06-0, 165<\/p>\n

Rating:\u00a0Three-star<\/p>\n

The Skinny:\u00a0Jennings 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.<\/p>\n

Maxwell Hiller OL<\/p>\n

School\/Hometown:\u00a0Coatesville Area HS\/Coatesville, Pa.<\/p>\n

Height\/Weight:\u00a06-5, 300<\/p>\n

Rating:\u00a0Five-star<\/p>\n

The Skinny:\u00a0Hiller 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.<\/p>\n

Amare Nugent DB<\/p>\n

School\/Hometown:\u00a0American Heritage HS\/Plantation, Fla.<\/p>\n

Height\/Weight:\u00a05-11, 178<\/p>\n

Rating:\u00a0Four-star<\/p>\n

The Skinny:\u00a0Nugent 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 4×100 relay squad that captured a Florida 3A track and field championship.<\/p>\n

Tramond Collins WR<\/p>\n

School\/Hometown:\u00a0Cottondale HS\/Cottondale, Fla.<\/p>\n

Height\/Weight:\u00a06-2, 183<\/p>\n

Rating:\u00a0Four-star<\/p>\n

The Skinny:\u00a0Collins 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).<\/p>\n

Davin Davidson QB<\/p>\n

School\/Hometown:\u00a0Cardinal Mooney HS\/Sarasota, Fla.<\/p>\n

Height\/Weight:\u00a06-6, 215<\/p>\n

Rating:\u00a0Four-star<\/p>\n

The Skinny:\u00a0Ranked 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.<\/p>\n

Jackson Ballinger TE<\/p>\n

School\/Hometown:\u00a0Centerburg HS\/Centerburg, Ohio<\/p>\n

Height\/Weight:\u00a06-4, 225<\/p>\n

Rating:\u00a0three-star<\/p>\n

The Skinny:\u00a0Ballinger 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.<\/p>\n

Tommy Douglas TE<\/p>\n

School\/Hometown:\u00a0The Hun School\/Princeton, N.J.<\/p>\n

Height\/Weight:\u00a06-4, 235<\/p>\n

Rating:\u00a0three-star<\/p>\n

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\u00a0and 7 TDs.<\/p>\n

Aamaury Fountain DB<\/p>\n

School\/Hometown:\u00a0Northside HS\/Warner Robbins, Ga.<\/p>\n

Height\/Weight:\u00a06-3,190<\/p>\n

Rating:\u00a0three-star<\/p>\n

The Skinny:\u00a0Rated 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.<\/p>\n

Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun\u2019s\u00a0Florida<\/a>\u00a0beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida football recruiting tracker, UF adds RB to 2027 class<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Florida football recruiting is off to a promising start under first-year coach Jon Sumrall. The Florida Gators continued…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":68422,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[114364,114362,28,2530,114361,114363,232,234,233,2511],"class_list":["post-265677","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tallahassee","tag-247sports","tag-andrew-beard","tag-florida","tag-florida-gators","tag-prince-avenue-christian-school","tag-school-hometown","tag-tallahassee","tag-tallahassee-headlines","tag-tallahassee-news","tag-uf"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265677","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=265677"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265677\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/68422"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=265677"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=265677"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=265677"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}