Mizzou’s Terry Beckner may be first true freshman to start on Gary Pinkel’s defensive line

Going against Missouri’s bevy of pass-rushing talent during the last few seasons, Missouri quarterback Maty Mauk often has found himself grateful for the green non-contact jersey.

Freshman defensive tackle Terry Beckner Jr.’s arrival provided one more reason Mauk’s thankful for the protection in practice.

“He’s a guy that kind of reminds me of a Harold (Brantley) or is Sheldon (Richardson) from my freshman year,” Mauk said. “He’s a guy that knows what he’s doing. He’s a big guy, physical, athletic and he can beat you so many different ways. … He’s spinning, he’s ripping, he’s swinging guys. He’s getting in the backfield.

“A guy with the talent he has doing it at the level he is already as a freshman, I expect huge things from him. He’s probably a guy who won’t be here very long.”

The Tigers get Beckner for at least two more years. That’s the earliest he could put his name in for the NFL Draft.

Until then, Missouri’s thrilled to have Beckner in the D-Line Zou mix.

“He can do some stuff that’s pretty special and he’s working his way to getting better …,” defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski said. “He is as quick and as strong off the football right now as most anybody we’ve got on the team.”

Beckner has six tackles, including two for a loss, with one pass breakup through his first three collegiate games.

He was elevated Monday to a starting role at defensive tackle when the depth chart was released for Saturday’s game at Kentucky.

“The depth chart says I’m the starter, but I don’t really look at that,” Beckner said. “When I’m on the field, I look at it as I’m a bottom player trying to get to the top. I stay humble with it and try not to get a big head.”

If Beckner — a four-star Rivals prospect from East St. Louis (Ill.) and the No. 2 player in the 2015 recruiting class, according to ESPN — does indeed start against the Wildcats, he’d be the first true freshman to do so on the defensive line in coach Gary Pinkel’s 15 seasons with the Tigers.

“He’s a powerful guy, very naturally strong … and he’s a really good competitor,” Pinkel said. “He’s very humble. When you take humility and great ability, you get better faster that way and it’s pretty neat to see. … He’ll get a lot better than he is now, but he has unlimited potential as a defensive tackle.”

Beckner, who spoke to the media Monday for the first time since arriving at Missouri, also suffered a tremendous scare Friday when he was involved in a two-car accident on the northeast corner of campus.

“I was coming to the light, and the light was green,” Beckner said. “Once I came through, (the other driver) just jumped out in front of me. I tried to hit my brakes, but my car slid and she hit me. Then we hit the pole.”

Beckner suffered a bruised leg, but it was minor enough he played against Connecticut, recording two tackles and one for a loss.

He was shaken up more by the injuries his teammates suffered.

Wide receiver DeSean Blair suffered a concussion and fellow wide receiver Keyon Dilosa suffered a bruised elbow, while running back Trevon Walters had his surgically repaired knee examined at the hospital.

“Everybody else was kind of hurt,” Beckner said. “There was really nothing wrong with me, so I kind of felt bad on my end.”

He settled down when he realized his teammates would be fine thanks to the support from the Tigers’ staff and remaining teammates.

That support and the presence of Kuligowski were the big reasons Beckner committed to Missouri in the first place.

“(Kuligowski) was a huge factor, because (he’s) the one I was mostly talking to — him and (cornerbacks) coach (Cornell) Ford,” Beckner said. “I built a great relationship with them, and then I started talking to coach Pinkel ... my senior year.”

Those conversations cemented the Tigers as the right choice in Beckner’s mind.

“Once I talked to (Pinkel), I felt like I needed to be here because of the family atmosphere and it looked like they would take care of me,” he said.

This story was originally published September 21, 2015 at 9:03 PM with the headline "Mizzou’s Terry Beckner may be first true freshman to start on Gary Pinkel’s defensive line."