Cause for celebration: 5-star DT Terry Beckner Jr. picks Mizzou
Tears streaming from his eyes, wearing a black button-down dress shirt and a black bowtie, Terry Beckner Jr. pulled a Missouri pennant from under the table as his high school gym went crazy.
“I just followed where my heart told me to go. That’s where it told me to go, so that’s where I went,” Beckner Jr. said on ESPNU.
Emotional stuff with Beckner. Family members wearing "79 — D-LINE ZOU" shirts that students wore last Saturday.
— Pete Scantlebury (@PeteScantlebury) February 4, 2015
Terry Beckner Jr. is headed to Mizzou. pic.twitter.com/oJtctDJ8Rt
— Aaron Reiss (@aaronjreiss) February 4, 2015
The 6-foot-4, 300-pound defensive tackle was rated as high as No. 2 in the country (ESPN) within the 2015 class, Missouri’s most hyped signee since WR Dorial Green-Beckham in 2012. He chose Mizzou over Florida State, Ohio State and Auburn.
RELATED: Mizzou makes strong push for Terry Beckner Jr.
The Tigers return Harold Brantley, a legitimate SEC Defensive Player of the Year candidate in 2015, and Josh Augusta at defensive tackle, but rotated four players at the position in the fall. Beckner Jr. should get time at the position as a true freshman.
A versatile athlete, Beckner Jr. can rush the passer from the interior of the defensive line and he’s big enough to hold at the point of attack.
Beckner in Black n Gold! #Mizzou pic.twitter.com/ctKpNrWIDk
— JP Rock (@ShowMeMizzouJP) February 4, 2015
The East St. Louis native went to high school about a two-hour drive from the University of Missouri. He took an official visit to Columbia last weekend, attending a basketball game at which the crowd chanted his name and wore T-shirts bearing his No. 79.
Recent NFL draft exports like Shane Ray (.875), Markus Golden (.837), Michael Sam (.813) and Aldon Smith (.845) all rated significantly below Beckner Jr. (.992) according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. Beckner Jr.’s pure talent has to be making coach Gary Pinkel, and especially defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski, salivate.