Consensus top recruit Green-Beckham commits to Missouri

Dorial Green-Beckham to Make Choice of College This Morning

Hillcrest High School is preparing for the public announcement from its highly-touted senior.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Dorial Green-Beckham, the consensus No. 1 football recruit and USA TODAY's Offensive Player of the Year, stayed close to home Wednesday, signing with Missouri.

Green-Beckham, a 6-6, 220-pound wide receiver from Hillcrest (Springfield, Mo.), picked Missouri over Arkansas, Oklahoma, Alabama and Texas.

In his career at Hillcrest, Green-Beckham set a national record with 6,447 receiving yards. He also broke his own state season record with 2,233 yards on 119 catches with 24 touchdowns and set state records in single-game receiving yards (354) and career TD catches (72).

Green-Beckham announced his school of choice at his school shortly after 10:15 a.m. on Wednesday in a ceremony at Hillcrest. Most of the school's 1,136 students were in attendance.

After thanking his family and everyone at Hillcrest, Green-Beckham put on a Missouri hat at the ceremony to the cheers of his fellow students.

"Just to be home," Green-Beckham said about important factors in his decision. "To be close to family members and have everyone come out to support me."

In Columbia, the blue-chip wide receiver will join a program that will move to the Southeastern Conferencethis fall under coach Gary Pinkel, who helped win over Green-Beckham with recent trips to Springfield in a helicopter and also in a luxury bus.

He is expected to contribute right away in college.

"Dorial Green-Beckham, just on pure athleticism alone, is too good to keep off the field," said ESPNU recruiting analyst Tom Luginbill. "He's also at a position who can make the easiest transition. The only question is whether he can get off press coverage. Some guys learn it and some guys don't."

Green-Beckham's last official visit was to Columbia last weekend. There, Missouri continued to foster a family atmosphere that was key in his recruitment, Green-Beckham's adoptive parents said.

A key was the continuity of the staff, Green-Beckham's adoptive mother, Tracy Beckham, said. Missouri offensive coordinator David Yost has known the wide receiver since he was an eighth grader at Reed Middle School.

John Beckham, Green-Beckham's adoptive father and high school coach, said one factor was former Arkansas offensive coordinator Garrick McGee leaving to take the head coaching position at Alabama-Birmingham in December. McGee was a key recruiter in the chase for Green-Beckham.

John and Tracy took in Green-Beckham and his younger brother, Darnell, after years of the pair bouncing back and forth between Springfield and St. Louis with various caregivers. The Beckhams have fostered many children over the years and officially adopted the Green brothers in late December 2010.

Darnell, now a sophomore, was diagnosed with leukemia last February and has undergone treatment in Memphis and local hospitals since then.

Dorial Green-Beckham said he made up his mind on Monday, but John and Tracy told him to sleep on it. Tuesday morning, he told his parents he was sure. The family met last night and Dorial revealed his intentions to them.

"We kept it tight," Green-Beckham said. "When it was time to make a decision, we made it as a family."

Green-Beckham said he met Missouri basketball coach Frank Haith during his weekend visit. Green-Beckham said playing basketball in Columbia was a "possibility," and that he would "probably" run track. He has said in the past it was unlikely he would play basketball in college.