Dorial Green-Beckham
#15 | 6'6, 225, So. | Springfield, MO
2012: 43 targets, 27 catches (63%), 386 yards (9.0/target), 5 TD; 5 carries, 16 yards (3.2/carry)
Bill C.: A year ago, we had no idea what Dorial Green-Beckham might be capable of doing in his freshman year. And with 2013 creeping closer, we have no idea what he might be capable of doing in his sophomore year.
I mean ... we all saw the signs. We saw the UCF defender bounce off of him. We saw him take charge in the waning seconds against Tennessee. We saw how he needed just one block to explode down the sidelines against Syracuse. It's there. And with maturity, it's there more often.
I don't even know what else to say, really. It's there. We know it, Josh Henson knows it, and Dorial Green-Beckham knows it. (That last part is probably key -- there wasn't a lot of evidence that he knew it at the beginning of last season; he knew it late.)
My one critique at this stage in the game: I expected him to have better deep ball skills than he showed last year. He wasn't particularly aggressive in going up for balls in traffic. He has the best post-up frame you could ask for, but he still hasn't quite figured out how to use it. It's like a guy who was 5'11, suddenly had a growth spurt, and didn't understand how big he was. If he ever comes to understand ... yikes.
MizzouRugby: DGB earned a pass for a not so break out year last season with the sputtering of the entire MU offense. DGB was actually one of the more consistent WRs on the team (when he was able to be thrown to), dropping few balls, and coming up with big plays against Tennessee and UCF. Hopefully this year he will turn into a force to be reckoned with. I think we will see much, much more of him this season, but that may sadly come at Lucas’s expense.
The Beef: The best second-string WR in the country? Oh, how some get so worked up about things which are so meaningless. Fact is, DGB is going to be the #1 target. Perhaps he will supplant someone as the #1 at a WR spot. (Ed. note: since this was written, a new depth chart came out and listed him as a 12th starter. ) And if people get worked up because he does not get his name called as part of the pre-game, so be it. I just don't think it will matter and DGB is likely to pick up where he left off, which was trending up in a pretty solid way.
countrycal: I truly expect DGB to burst onto the scene and dominate at his position [and, in so doing, help Franklin put up award-winning numbers] in much the same way Sheldon did last year. The sky is the limit for this kid.
D-Sing: New offensive designs, but I think that DGB has a chance to excel in the Danario Alexander mold; in other words, line him up in the slot in three wide/four wide looks and let him take on the nickel and dime defensive backs/safeties. I’m not saying he’ll put up crazy numbers like D.A. did his last year; but if he could put up 60 % of that production, I would take it in his second year.