The first five-stars: Dorial Green-Beckham
They are the best of the best. The players that are wanted by every program and destined to make a big impact at the college level and beyond.
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Rivals.com has identified the first five-star prospects for the 2012 class and is unveiling them this week. Twelve prospects have been awarded five-stars but are not ranked at this time and we will profile three each day. The five-star spotlight is now on Springfield (Mo.) Hillcrest wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham.
Five stars: Green-Beckham
Dorial Green-Beckham was named the Rivals.com Junior of the Year in January.
HIGHLIGHT REELS
Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Springfield (Mo.) Hillcrest
Attributes: 6-6, 220, 4.43
Top schools: Offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Florida State, Illinois, Iowa, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas, UCLA, USC, Wisconsin and others.
Analyst's take: "Green-Beckham is a huge wide receiver but he is much more than just a possession guy. Due to his long strides, he has deceptively fast speed. He also has excellent body control and gets in and out of his cuts very smoothly. He catches the ball in stride and has the vision and the strength to pile up quite a few yards after the catch." - Brian Perroni, Rivals.com
Why he's a five-star: "It's easy to throw names around like A.J. Green and Julio Jones when you speak of Dorial Green-Beckham. The biggest difference is he is in the heart of Middle America at a school that is not a hotbed for talent. Green-Beckham has that freakish body control, superior size, soft hands and very good speed. He is a deep threat and a serious yards-after-the-catch guy. He should become an instant impact at the next level if he stays focused on being the best." - Barry Every, Rivals.com
His coach says: "Guys come in here and they say he's the best they've ever seen and that's coming from people who have seen a lot of great players. I don't think he takes that very seriously. There are things he needs to work on. You can compare him to Randy Moss and A.J. Green and Julio Jones but he isn't those guys yet. He knows that. Those are good expectations but that's really not the case right now." - Hillcrest head coach John Beckham
Odds and ends: Green-Beckham was named the Rivals.com Junior of the Year in January. He has been playing varsity football since his freshman season and has already broken the Missouri state record for receptions and receiving touchdowns. He is also getting recruiting attention in basketball. He and his younger brother live with Hillcrest head coach John Beckham after they both endured a tumultuous childhood. The head coach and guardian says Green-Beckham has learned to handle the pressure and expectations that are placed upon him every single game.
NFL player comparison: Player comparison: A.J. Green, Georgia
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