Starkville's Braylon Burnside Barbara Gauntt/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK

Mississippi State loses local four-star recruit Braylon Burnside and Ole Miss could be looming

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated 11/7/23

Braylon Burnside is a four-star athlete from Starkville, Miss. He plays for Starkville High School, which is literally a mile away from Mississippi State's Davis Wade Stadium.

As such, it would seem that he would be a Bulldog through and through, and for a time, he was indeed committed to Bulldogs head coach Zach Arnett's squad. He committed on June 20, 2023.

Unfortunately for Mississippi State, that's a commitment that no longer holds. Burnside announced his decommitment on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

"I've dreamed about playing in Davis Wade Stadium for a long time, but God has another plan," Burnside wrote. "Due to unforeseen circumstances, I am decommitting from Mississippi State and reopening my recruitment. I will not take any further comments until I have further clarity into my future. I ask that you please respect my family and I during this time. Thank you all and God Bless.”

pic.twitter.com/PgyPzGNy3d
— Stonka Burnside ✞ (@BraylonBurnside) November 6, 2023

On the surface, this would seem like an unlikely decommitment. He's a local kid who dreamed of being a Bulldog. So what changed?

It could be that Mississippi State is 4-5 and riding a two-game losing streak. Momentum from the recruiting trail doesn't usually impact the game on the field, but momentum from the field does oftentimes impact recruiting.

The most likely change, though, is the presence of Ole Miss, which has reportedly been nonstop after Burnside, even after he originally committed to Mississippi State.

"Ole Miss has continued to be relentless in its efforts to sway Burnside to Oxford," David Johnson of 247Sports wrote.

Burnside has already taken official visits to Texas A&M and Arkansas, so it will be interesting to see if Lane Kiffin and the Rebels get a visit now that his recruitment has been reopened.

Per 247Sports, Burnside is the No. 13 athlete in the 2024 class. He can play wide receiver or safety.

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