The country's top football prospect, Dorial Green-Beckham, is taking his talents to the University of Missouri.

The 6-foot-6, 220-pound wide receiver was born in St. Louis, Missouri and was later adopted by the Beckham family in Springfield, Missouri--roughly three hours from the stadium he'll be playing at in Columbia, Missouri.

Green-Beckham said he just wanted to stay home and have all these guys come out and support me when asked about the decision. Green-Beckham reportedly received his first scholarship offer from Missouri when he was 15-years-old, long before playing for the local varsity football team at Hillcrest High School.

The young wide-receiver's announcement was met with jubilant cheer by those who had all filed into the Hillcrest gymnasium for the signing. Video of event can be seen on the Hillcrest High School website.

Immediate Impact Necessary

Green-Beckham will join the SEC-bound University of Missouri Tigers as they aim to compete with college football juggernauts such as Alabama, LSU, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee.

The University of Missouri has been on a major upswing since the 2005 season, when quarterback Brad Smith threw for 2,304 yards and rushed for 1,301 yards. Despite the poor record that season--going 6-5 with blowout losses to teams such as Texas and Kansas--Smith entered the NFL draft.

Smith debuted with the NFL's New York Jets in 2006 and was frequently used in special packages for the team (such as the wildcat formation) before leaving to the Buffalo Bills this season.

Since Smith departed from Missouri, the football team has been on a meteoric rise. Under the reign of quarterback Chase Daniel, the team was briefly ranked number one in the country. Daniel was ultimately picked up by the New Orleans Saints after going undrafted.

After Daniel, the torch was passed down to Blaine Gabbert, a Missouri-native that was considered a top recruit after graduating high school. Gabbert had two successful seasons as the starter of the University of Missouri football team and declared himself eligible for the NFL Draft. Gabbert was picked tenth overall.

The growing legacy of great quarterbacks from the University of Missouri makes top recruit Green-Beckham a perfect fit for the organization. Not only will Green-Beckham have the support of his friends and family who live extremely close to the university, but he'll also have the support of Missouri's dual-threat quarterback James Franklin, who threw for 2,865 yards and rushed for 981 yards.

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