Ole Miss target, 4-star WR Braylon ‘Stonka’ Burnside shows heart, intensity in Starkville’s title-game loss to Oak Grove
OXFORD, Miss. — Oak Grove High School took home the 7A MHSAA title after defeating Starkville, 33-28, at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium Saturday. Despite the outcome, the reason I attended the game was to get a look at 2024 wide receiver Braylon “Stonka” Burnside, an Ole Miss target who competed furiously.
The 4-star Stonka had been a Mississippi State commit until early November when he announced his decommittment. While many believe Ole Miss has a strong chance to get the talented Burnside to Oxford, it remains to be seen what impact Mississippi State’s recent hiring of offensive-minded head coach Jeff Lebby will have on Burnside’s decision.
Ole Miss target Braylon Burnside has decommitted from State. ⤵️ https://t.co/KuMgBpSCiM
— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) November 6, 2023
Wearing his Ole Miss gloves, Stonka led his team in receiving yards (61) and caught the longest touchdown of the day, a 49-yard touchdown snag in the second quarter.
In the same quarter, on 2nd and 10, quarterback Trey Petty threw a perfect ball near the sideline, where Burnside caught it and dragged his foot to stay in bounds and pick up the first. Keep in mind that LSU-commit PJ Woodland was guarding Burnside for both plays and the majority of the game.
Following every offensive drive, Stonka would immediately turn around to play safety and return punts. On the defensive side of the ball, he finished the game with seven total tackles, including one tackle for loss. Between the speed and power that Burnside possesses, he could very well play defense or offense in college.
Welcome to Mississippi football 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/lz9QqDnbB9
— Stonka Burnside ✞ (@BraylonBurnside) November 26, 2023
One part of Braylon’s game that stood out to me was the heart and intensity with which he plays. As exhausting as it may be to play almost every snap of the game, he did it and never showed any sign of fatigue or defeat.
Rebel fans, Burnside would be a fantastic name to have in this 2024 class.
Defensive lineman Andrew Maddox
On the topic of recruiting, top-100 prospect and Oak Grove defensive lineman Andrew Maddox (2025) was also wearing Ole Miss gloves in his championship performance tonight. With defensive line coach Randall Joyner in attendance watching him play, the 6’3 stud finished the night with six total tackles, including one quarterback hit.
Ole Miss offered Maddox all the way back in May of 2022.
While Maddox is a junior, he is already getting traction from Texas A&M, Auburn, Alabama, and more, which is not surprising. Andrew is a guy who stood out to me even during pregame due to his size and physicality. It’s also worth acknowledging that his brother, Anthony Maddox, is the quarterback for Oak Grove and is committed to Texas A&M (2024).
Ole Miss fans, stay tuned to The Rebel Walk for more on these two players and all of the recruiting intel you desire. Congratulations to Oak Grove and Hotty Toddy!
(Feature image credit: Lauren Witte, Clarion Ledger)
Zach Moreth
Zach is a freshman at Ole Miss and is studying Sports Administration. Outside of watching and playing sports, he enjoys spending time with his loved ones and being active. I’m excited to help cover our amazing Ole Miss sports teams!
