Braylon Burnside, a four-star wide receiver recruit from Starkville, Mississippi, has signed his letter of intent — but the school he'll attend will remain a mystery until he reveals his decision Jan. 3 at the Under Armour All-America Game in Orlando, Florida.
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While the school is a mystery, we currently have a 50-50 shot at guessing it, as it'll be Ole Miss or Mississippi State.
4-star WR @BraylonBurnside signed with a school last Thursday and he’s ready to reveal his decision in Orlando at the @UANextFootball game.
Burnside talks what went into his final decision: https://t.co/LBITys03bJ (On3+) pic.twitter.com/FvA6oSbq42
— ChadSimmons (@ChadSimmons_) December 27, 2023
"It is going to be an exciting moment for me being a Mississippi kid making my commitment known as an All-American," Burnside told On3. "The city wants to know now, but I am keeping them guessing. I will tease them with the clothes I wear and things like that, but the only people that know are me, my mom and the school that I signed with."
Burnside, the No. 314 overall prospect according to On3, was committed at one time to the Bulldogs, as Mississippi State is near him. That program did have a coaching change, though. However, coach Jeff Lebby made Burnside a top priority, while Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin has been in the running and remained consistent with Burnside.
"It was pretty tough," Burnside said. "Both teams are in Mississippi, I was recruited hard by both and it was a hard to choose one. Every time I visited each school, I felt good. I liked both schools a lot."
"It came down to the relationships my mom had," he added. "How they were with her, her feelings about the school helped a lot. She played a big role in my decision. When she broke things down, she talked to me about the details and what she said was a fit for me."
Burnside also offered comments on both schools specifically.
"I have been to Ole Miss a lot and they have great people," Burnside said about the program. "My first time there, Coach Kelvin Bolden showed me around. He is a great guy. I have great relationships with Coach Patrick Carter and Coach Derrick Nix too. Coach Nix is my guy. He always keeps it real."
"I was at the ULM game and it was a great time," he added. "Their fans are great, they always show a lot of love and the vibe with people have kept Ole Miss high on my list."
He also offered up commentary on Mississippi State.
"Since Coach Lebby took over, I visited Mississippi State twice," Burnside said about Mississippi State. "I didn't know a lot about him before he got the job. About a week after he got the job, we talked for the first time. He hit the commits up first, then we started talking and liked him. He is an offensive guy, he throws it around and I like his offense. It would be a good place for a receiver."
"Coach Bump staying was huge," he added. "If Bump would have left, Mississippi State would have been disqualified for me. That connection [we] have is real. He kept Mississippi State an option for me."
