Former Georgia outside linebacker Robert Beal Jr. cannot wait to show scouts and representatives of the 32 NFL at this week’s Combine in Indianapolis what he’s all about.

“Whether it’s having a good 40-time, position drills, all that stuff, I feel like I’m going to boost my draft stock doing those things,” said Beal, who believes he’ll run the 40-yard dash in the 4.5 range.

Beal will have his opportunity on Thursday when linebackers and defensive linemen take the field at Lucas Oil Stadium, the site of Georgia’s victory over Alabama to win the 2021 national crown.

UGASports spoke to Beal on Wednesday morning. Interviews with NFL GMs have also been part of the process.

“I don’t even know where to start,” said Beal, when asked which teams he’s spoken with. “Indianapolis, Oakland … Pittsburgh. It’s been a lot.”

Beal is coming off a senior season with the Bulldogs that saw him make 26 tackles, including three sacks for losses of 15 yards.

“I always knew I was going to come back for one more year,” Beal said of his decision to return to Georgia in 2022. “I wanted to better myself, and you know, mature a little bit.”

Beal's return allowed him to win a second title. But that begs the question, which Georgia championship team was better?

"That's a good question," Beal said. "I feel like it would be a tie and come down to the wire"

When pressed, Beal said he'd "probably" give the edge to the 2022 team.

Which makes sense as Beal feels that if he were showing an NFL General Manager just one game, he'd put on the LSU contest from earlier this year.

"I feel like that was one of my best games," Beal said. "I was playing the run pretty well and rushing the passer. I fell like that kind of stuck out."

While he’s excited about his future, Beal had a message for those concerned what Georgia’s outside linebacker room will look like without he and Nolan Smith.

Don’t worry.

“It’s going to be the same, honestly,” Beal said. “We’ve got some young guy, you know, that may have been second (team) so they didn’t get a lot of reps. But there’s not going to be much of a drop-off at all. If anything, it’s going to better.”

Beal cited Chaz Chambliss and Marvin Jones Jr., yet Georgia’s depth will go deeper than that.

“Our room was really, really solid before we left, and I feel those guys have developed going back to last spring and fall camp,” Beal said. “They’ll get playing time and definitely have a role at the University of Georgia.”

Beal praised head coach Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs’ defensive assistants for putting him in the position he currently finds himself in.

When it comes to being prepared – be it game days on Saturday or a career in NFL – Beal said it does not get any better than it does at Georgia.

“Before games, I feel like we prepared better than anyone. Coach Smart always puts us in the best situation,” Beal said. “We go all the scenarios that go on in the game so when they come game time it's like clockwork. We know what to do.”

Beal does not believe the Bulldogs’ time at the top of the college football world will be going away anytime soon, either.

“Oh yeah, I feel like we're really high up on the pedestal. I feel like teams really are chasing us,” he said. “I feel we’ve just gotten better and better.”

Last year’s undefeated season was a year Beal obviously will never forget.

Being prepared was the key.

“There were always lots of emotions and stuff like that, but we were already prepared before the games ever started,” Beal said. “It really didn’t matter or make a difference who we were playing. We took it one week at a time and just kept chopping the whole year.”