Recruiting expert logs prediction for Mississippi State to land 4-star WR Braylon Burnside

The recruitment of Starkville (Miss.) four-star wide receiver Braylon ‘Stonka’ Burnside is set to stay in the state of Mississippi.

After committing to the hometown Mississippi State Bulldogs on June 20, Burnside backed off his pledge at the beginning of November. He’s since taken a visit to Ole Miss, as the Rebels have started to trend for the blue-chip wideout.

Now, Burnside is set to announce his commitment at the Under Armour All-American game on Jan. 3 and will choose between the two in-state SEC programs. While momentum appears to be with the school in Oxford, a new pick in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) has been logged in favor of the Bulldogs.

Mississippi State recruiting insider Paul Jones placed his pick for Burnside to re-pledge to MSU on Wednesday, accompanying it with an 85% confidence level. The Bulldogs’ RPM percentage is now up to 57%, while Ole Miss sits in second at 39.7%.

Miss State officially announced the hiring of new head coach Jeff Lebby earlier this week, kicking off a new regime in Starkville. Retaining the Bulldogs’ top-30 recruiting class — per the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Ranking — is among the many challenges on Lebby’s to-do list.

Keeping Burnside in his hometown would do wonders for a class that features just a pair of four-star prospects with National Signing Day right around the corner. The 6-foot-0.5, 195-pounder is the No. 301 overall recruit and No. 50 WR in the cycle, per the On3 Industry Ranking.

Official visits still to come for Burnside

With Burnside’s decision set for January, he’s planning to take December official visits to both Miss State and Ole Miss, according to Jones. As Lebby looks to usher in a new era of football in Starkville, he and the Bulldogs’ staff will likely have a chance to make another impression on Burnside to keep him home.

Current Miss State commits, including Sardis (Miss.) North Panola four-star WR JJ Harrell — the top-ranked pledge in the class — have since reaffirmed their commitments following the hiring of Lebby.

“My first impression of Coach Lebby was that he was engaged, self-assured, and trustworthy,” Harrell told On3’s Sam Spiegelman. “For me to get a call first showed me everything I needed to know about Coach. I stayed loyal through all the ups and downs, and Coach is believing in me to be a great player for Mississippi State.”

The Rebels currently boast a higher-ranked 2024 class and are enjoying a 10-win season that includes an Egg Bowl victory over Miss State. The battle for Burnside is an opportunity for the Bulldogs to pick up a much-needed win over their in-state rival.