Missouri sophomore wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham's young career found its first signature game Saturday in a blowout win over Kentucky with a career-high four touchdown catches. Two years removed from being hailed as the nation's top recruit at any position, Green-Beckham had, until Saturday, shown only intermittent flashes of big-play ability in the first two years of his college career.
But this was no flash. It was more like a bang.
Green-Beckham led all receivers with a game-high seven catches for 100 yards, but when the Tigers needed to find paydirt, Green-Beckham's 6-foot-6 frame proved overwhelming for the Kentucky secondary in the red zone. He caught touchdown passes of 8, 7, 22 and 7 yards, three of which were on lobs from quarterback Maty Mauk to either the front or back corner of the end zone. The fourth was a slant pattern in which Green-Beckham used his size again to shield the defender from a well-thrown pass.
This from NFL Media draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah:
The Tigers feature the biggest corps of receivers in the league with Green-Beckham, 6-foot-5 Marcus Lucas and 6-foot-4 L'Damian Washington. Green-Beckham, however, may be the most dangerous of the three on what coaches call "50-50" balls against a shorter cornerback.
Green-Beckham, as a true sophomore, won't be eligible for the NFL draft until 2015 or 2016.
A video showing three of Green-Beckham's four touchdowns can be watched below:
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