The NCAA eligibility appeal of star wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham to play this fall at Oklahoma is held up, for the moment, by a wait for paperwork from Missouri.
Green-Beckham was dismissed from Missouri earlier this year for disciplinary reasons, ending with a burglary investigation that did not result in a charge, and was later signed by Oklahoma. An NCAA rule requiring FBS-to-FBS transfers to sit out one season at the new school has Green-Beckham, one of the nation's top underclassmen at the position, set to watch the Sooners from the sideline this fall. The NCAA has been known to grant immediate eligibility on appeal, but successful appeals are generally hardship cases rather than disciplinary cases.
While a suspicious OU fan might wonder about Missouri's motive, that wouldn't be supported by the tulsaworld.com report indicating Missouri has been cooperative with OU regarding the transfer, nor the fact that Tigers coach Gary Pinkel has expressed a sincere hope for Green-Beckham's future course to right itself.
As for the likelihood of a successful appeal by Green-Beckham, one compliance expert described it as a "longshot" in a different article.
If Green-Beckham's appeal is denied, he would be draft-eligible for 2015 as a third-year sophomore, but might be compelled to return to OU for next season in order to re-display his skills after a year off. He caught 59 passes for 883 yards and 12 touchdowns last year for SEC East Division champion Missouri.
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