Mississippi
Braylon Burnside commits to Mississippi State
Starkville High School wide receiver Braylon “Stonka” Burnside announced his commitment to play football at Mississippi State on Wednesday afternoon at halftime of the Under Armour Next All-America Football Game at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla.
The announcement, which was carried live on ESPN, featured Burnside, alongside his family and ESPN reporter Matt Schick, revealing his choice by opening a road case and pulling out a Mississippi State hat
During the broadcast, Burnside said he was “staying home.”
A two-way star for the Yellow Jackets at wide receiver and defensive back, Burnside, who received offers from 20 FBS programs and originally committed to Mississippi State in June, decommitted in November before helping Starkville to the inaugural MHSAA 7A state title game, a 33-28 loss to Oak Grove at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford.
An All-State selection, Burnside finished 2023 with 61 catches for 1,067 yards and 17 touchdowns. In 2022, he helped lead the Yellow Jackets to the MHSAA 6A title, catching 75 passes for 1,158 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Burnside, a four-star recruit, is the eighth-ranked player in Mississippi for the class of 2024, according to 247Sports composite rankings. He joins a bolstered Bulldog wide receiver group under new head coach Jeff Lebby, which includes four-stars JJ Harrell from North Panola High and Alabama native Mario Craver. Two other class of 2024 wide receivers, Sanfrisco Magee and Matt Mayfield, have not yet signed but remain verbally committed to MSU.
In a statement, Lebby said he is excited about adding Burnside to the Mississippi State family.
“It’s a huge win for us to keep him home,” Lebby said. “He’s a hometown hero, and we look forward to getting him to campus and having a great career as a Bulldog.”
Burnside told The Dispatch in May that he planned to stay true to himself and focus on football during the high school season before making a college decision.
“It can be hard with a lot of coaches texting everyday, but I just do me,” Burnside said during Starkville’s spring jamboree. “I just show everybody what I can do, show them my game, and I think that’s what makes me stick out.”
Philip Poe is interim sports editor.
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