Terry Beckner Jr., the No. 13 national recruit according to the 247Sports Composite, committed to Missouri on National Signing Day. Beckner is a consensus five-star recruit, listed as the No. 3 defensive tackle in the nation, who received an elite composite rating of 0.9918. At one point, he was ESPN’s No. 1 overall recruit.
5-star Terry Beckner Jr. commits to Missouri over Auburn, Florida State, Ohio State
Mizzou keeps the East St. Louis product close to home.
ESPNU
Missouri was expected to keep Beckner nearby, choosing the Tigers over Auburn, Florida State and Ohio State. Mizzou students went all in to welcome Beckner on a visit last weekend.
“Florida State has a good relationship with Beckner, and Ohio State is impressive under Urban Meyer,” says SB Nation’s Bud Elliott. “But Missouri develops defensive linemen with the best of them, and distance is often a major factor, so the Tigers are my pick.”
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Beckner is a 6’4, 293-pound pass rusher with a reported 40-yard dash time of 4.89 seconds. During his senior season at East St. Louis High School in St. Louis, Ill., Beckner racked up 116 tackles, three sacks and an interception that he returned for a touchdown.
He took official visits to each of his final four schools: Missouri, Ohio State, Auburn and Florida State, and also received interest from LSU.
With no clear-cut consensus for the top prospect in the nation, there's an argument to be made for Beckner as the No. 1 recruit. Wescott Eberts think he's one of five players with an argument as the No. 1 prospect because of his versatility:
“Despite weighing 293 pounds, Berkner is arguably the No. 1 because he’s strong enough to play inside at nose tackle if necessary, can penetrate the backfield as a three-technique defensive tackle (since he has tools like the spin move shown above), and is even a threat off the edge. He can use speed-to-power or pure bull-rush techniques to collapse the pocket.”
According to a scouting report by Bud Elliott, that versatility would be best put to use as a strong-side defensive end, where Beckner would be a perfect fit:
"Beckner is not just about size and speed. He also displays good body control and bend, and is not just a straight-line player. In several highlights, he is able to change course, pursue a ball carrier and bring him down.
"And Beckner is not just a run-stopper at defensive end. He shows good burst for his size, and with his length and the threat of a bull-rush thanks to his strength, he should be able to build off that with more complementary moves at the next level."
