Dorial Green-Beckham's time at Oklahoma was brief.
The Missouri transfer will apply for early entry into the 2015 NFL Draft after spending a little more than a semester with the Sooners, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops announced Tuesday during his end-of-the-season press conference.
Green-Beckham, a wide receiver who was the nation's No. 1 overall recruit coming out of high school, flashed plenty of potential during his time with the Tigers, but failed to have the breakout season many expected.
A series of off-the-field incidents, including two marijuana-related arrests and a burglary investigation in which he was not charged but allegedly pushed a woman down some stairs, led to his dismissal from the Missouri football team. He was denied an NCAA waiver that would have allowed him to play right away with the Sooners and instead spent all of the 2014 season on the scout team.
"Hopefully this has helped him moved forward in a positive direction," Stoops said of Green-Beckham's time at Oklahoma. "He could have been a big piece going forward but obviously that didn't work out that way."
Green-Beckham's decision to declare for the draft is somewhat surprising to those that thought he would stick with the Sooners for the 2015 season to showcase his ability after an up-and-down career at Missouri. However, Stoops made several offensive staff changes this offseason, including letting go of wide receivers coach/co-offensive coordinator Jay Norvell, and that might have prompted Green-Beckham to leave the program for professional football earlier than expected.
At 6-foot-6 and with a 40-yard dash time that should make him one of the faster players in the 2015 draft class, Green-Beckham still presents an interesting prospect for a number of wide receiver-needy NFL clubs. Some have even compared the third-year sophomore to Detroit Lions star Calvin Johnson due to his athleticism and large frame, while noting he has the talent to be a first-round pick. However, his history of off-the-field issues could hurt his draft stock.
Green-Beckham wraps up his college career with 87 catches for 1,278 yards and 17 touchdowns.
The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the 2015 NFL Draft is Jan. 15.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
