Braylon Burnside will be announcing his college decision on Wednesday at the Under Armour All-America Game. One of the nation’s top playmakers and overall athletes is poised to announce what has turned into an in-state battle for his talents.
Burnside’s decision is down to two between Ole Miss and Mississippi State. The Under Armour All-America Game is being held at Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida) on Wednesday, January 3 at 4:00 pm EST (ESPN).
Burnside is a four-star and the No. 166 player in the nation per ESPN. He is the No. 248 overall recruit in the nation and a four-star athlete according to 247Sports.
There is certainly a lot of attention on him this week as he is the lone player announcing at the Under Armour All-America Game. He is a 6-foot, 185-pound wide receiver and safety prospect from Starkville, Mississippi.
Burnside said he waited this long because he wanted to take his time through the process and to also enjoy the platform of committing on ESPN.
“It’s come down to the hometown (Starkville, the home of Mississippi State) and Ole Miss – the hometown of Oxford,” Burnside told USA TODAY High School Sports on Monday afternoon.
“It’s the battle of Mississippi as I call it. Looking forward to it.”
Burnside said he will enroll in January regardless of the school he selects.
As for Ole Miss, he said that the program being run by head coach Lane Kiffin is very appealing to him.
“I like coach Kiffin and their offense, the way he runs the offense,” Burnside said.
“The way he treats his receivers, the way coach Nix (wide receivers coach, assistant head coach Derrick Nix) treats his receivers. I feel like it could be a good place for me too.”
Mississippi State, located just minutes from home, is undergoing some changes. New head coach Jeff Lebby, who was the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma, has brought a new energy to the program.
Burnside likes what he has seen from Lebby’s program.
“There’s been a whole lot of good changes with coach Lebby being the head coach, I feel like it’s a good look for them,” Burnside said.
This past week of practice has been competitive, Burnside said. Playing in the Under Armour All-America game is one thing, but he said getting high-level coaching is part of the reason why he committed to the game.
“I get to compete with the best guys in the nation, it’s one of those experiences I’ve always dreamed about,” Burnside said.
“When you’re up here, you get every experience, every drill that you want to learn as a receiver and that’s what you want as a receiver.”