WR: Dorial Green-Beckham
Was there really any surprise? The absolute highest recruit in school history. The best WR ever ranked, according to Rivals. He is Rivals’ #8 player of all time. An All-American. Gary Pinkel flew in a freaking helicopter to visit him at Hillcrest in Springfield. You name the accolade, and he collected it.
Then he got to campus.
DGB, as a freshman, started out slow. 395 yards as a freshman. His playing time yo-yo’d a bit. He was arrested for marijuana possession his freshman year, and actually missed two games.
Then as a sophomore, he exploded onto the scene, coinciding with the Tigers arriving to the national stage. His 883 yards and 12 TDs paced the Tigers as they finished as the number five ranked team in the country that year. All was good in CoMo, until it wasn’t.
During the off-season, he would be dismissed due to his actions in an off-campus dispute with his girlfriend. He accepted accountability, but enough was enough at that point. He had to go.
He’d go on to transfer to Oklahoma, where his appeal to play was denied. He’d sit out a year, while never playing a down for the Sooners, and declare for the draft.
I think most fans wonder what DGB could have been had he stayed on the right path; I know that I absolutely do. I think about him being on that 2014 Tigers team, and the impact he could’ve had. DGB was the signature recruit of this generation of Mizzou fans and it hurts to think back of what could’ve been. At the same time, it’s hard to argue against his productivity as a Tiger. I just wish it had lasted a little longer.
TE: Kellen Winslow
This one had a lot of options. There isn’t a recruit at this position that was super heralded or was a clear cut choice. You could make arguments for Coffman, Rucker, Egnew, etc. I thought Winslow was the choice, because simply put, he’s the most accomplished of the group.
A two-time all Big Eigh selection, a consensus All-American in 1978, and led the conference in touchdowns twice as well. He would later become a first round pick of the San Deigo Chargers in 1978, where he would go on to have a Hall of Fame career in the NFL. He’s also not only part of the Professional Football Hall of Fame, but the collegiate one as well.
Oh, and he’s an original piece of the East St. Louis to Mizzou Pipeline, too.