Robert Beal Jr.

Robert Erwin Beal Jr. (born August 18, 1999) is an American football defensive end for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia.

Early years
Beal grew up in Duluth, Georgia and initially attended Norcross High School. After his sophomore year, he transferred to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Beal transferred a second time to Peachtree Ridge High School in Suwanee, Georgia after his junior season, citing a desire to move back to his home. He was originally rated a four-star recruit and initially committed to play college football at Notre Dame as a sophomore before decommitting later in the year and re-opening his recruitment. Beal was re-rated a five-star recruit and ultimately committed to play at Georgia.

College career
Beal played in 11 games during his freshman season at Georgia and had 15 tackles with four tackles for loss and one sack. He saw a decrease in playing time as a sophomore and used a redshirt on the season after playing in four games. After the season, Beal entered the NCAA transfer portal, but later withdrew and returned to Georgia. He played in all 15 of the Bulldogs' games and led the team with 6.5 sacks during Georgia's national championship season in 2021. Beal had 26 tackles with three sacks and 20 quarterback pressures as a redshirt senior while Georgia repeated as national champions.

Professional career
Beal Jr. was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the fifth round, 173rd overall, of the 2023 NFL draft. He was placed on injured reserve on August 30, 2023. He was activated on November 27.