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Georgia Recruiting: 5-star Robert Beal commits to Bulldogs

By Patrick Schmidt

Apr 16, 2016; Athens, GA, USA; Detailed view of a Georgia Bulldogs helmet on the sidelines during the second half of the spring game at Sanford Stadium. The Black team defeated the Red team 34-14. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 16, 2016; Athens, GA, USA; Detailed view of a Georgia Bulldogs helmet on the sidelines during the second half of the spring game at Sanford Stadium. The Black team defeated the Red team 34-14. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Georgia recruiting class added the commitment from five-star defensive end Robert Beal on Tuesday and the coaching change from Mark Richt to Kirby Smart could have been the difference.

Five-star defensive end Robert Beal (Bradenton, FL. IMG Academy) committed to the Georgia Bulldogs on Monday morning. Beal, a five-star recruit who plays for high school powerhouse IMG Academy that’s home to a dozen of the nation’s top recruits is now the highest-ranked commitment on the board for first-year Georgia head coach Kirby Smart.

Beal is the nation’s No. 30 ranked player, No. 2 weak-side defensive end and the No. 8 player in the state of Florida, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. With the commitment from Beal, Georgia now has the nation’s No. 3 recruiting class, behind only the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Beal made his decision in a video for Bleacher Report, you can watch below, where he picks the Dawgs over the Florida State Seminoles, Texas Longhorns and Alabama.

The commitment from Beal adds to the talented edge rushers and front-seven players on the Georgia roster. Smart knows if you’re going to have success in the SEC, you better have players who can get to the quarterback, and Beal certainly can do that and has the potential to be a future impact performer in Athens. He could be the second coming of former five-star recruit and potential breakout star, Lorenzo Carter.

But his future may not have been in Athens if not for the coaching change that saw Mark Richt lose his job in favor of Smart, according to Beal who cited the new coaching staff being able to change his mind about Georgia.

“Georgia is different,” Beal said, via 247Sports. “I got to build relationships with coaches over time. I got to see the old coaching staff and the new coaching staff. The new coaching staff changed my mind about Georgia.

“I like Kirby Smart a lot. He is an intense guy. He does not just sit back and watch. He goes out and gets in your face if he needs to. Kevin Sherrer is pretty cool and we are pretty much the same. We do not talk much, but we get the job done.”

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