Dorial Green-Beckham, a wide receiver viewed as a likely 2015 first-round draft pick, has been kicked off the Missouri football team.
Green-Beckham, a sophomore who’s talented enough that he could be a first-round pick this year if not for the NFL’s minimum-age rule, has had a string of off-field incidents that have raised concerns about his character. Most recently, he was named as a suspect in a burglary, and although he was not arrested, that was apparently the last straw for Missouri coach Gary Pinkel.
“Dorial’s priority going forward needs to be focusing on getting the help he needs,” Pinkel said in a statement.
The 6-foot-6, 225-pound Green-Beckham is a phenomenal athlete who won state high school championships in the 100 meters and the triple jump, and he had a very good sophomore season at Missouri last year. Although Missouri lost to Auburn in the SEC championship game, Green-Beckham looked like the best player on the field, catching six passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns.
Now the question is where Green-Beckham will take that talent. Transferring to another major college football program seems unlikely, as he would have to sit out a season before playing, and no one believes he’ll play more than one more year at the college level. Green-Beckham could transfer to a lower division and play immediately, or he could simply sit out a year before entering next year’s draft.
No matter what Green-Beckham does, a year from now he’ll be one of the most intriguing prospects in the draft, a receiver with incredible talent who can’t seem to get out of his own way off the field.