Starkville's Braylon Burnside wants to be AJ Brown 2.0, but for Mississippi State football
Starkville receiver and Mississippi State football commit Braylon Burnside has never shied away from adapting in order to improve his game. Lining up wide and being physical while having game-changing speed has proved to be the recipe for success.
Being a hometown kid from Starkville, Burnside received a lot of influence from another star player from his own high school.
"I feel like I can be AJ Brown 2.0," said Burnside. "I grew up watching him play when I was younger and he's always been the blueprint for me to follow."
Brown, an All-Pro wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles who starred at Ole Miss, played at Starkville from 2011-15 and won a 6A state championship. He was a member of the Clarion-Ledger 2015 Dandy Dozen.
"AJ is like a big brother to me. I’ve built that bond with him throughout my high school years now," Burnside said. "He always tells me to trust the process and just be me. He told me don’t try to fit in with others and that’s exactly what I’m doing."
"Especially since I'm one of the biggest receivers in my class, I feel like my speed at my size is what separates me and makes me different, just like AJ"
Burnside mirrored the younger version of Brown in his junior year at Starkville, recording over 1,200 total yards and 11 touchdowns. He also played on both sides of the ball, getting reps at safety with 12 total tackles and an interception.
Burnside is No. 3 in the Clarion Ledger's 2023 Dandy Dozen, a collection of the 12 best college football recruits in Mississippi for the class of 2024 as picked by the newspaper.
The 6-foot 1, 190-pound Burnside is a four-star recruit and No. 7 prospect in Mississippi, according to the 247Sports Composite. He's the No. 15 receiver in the country.
STARKVILLE HS: Starkville football quarterback Trey Petty on his Luke Altmyer connection as Illinois commit
MS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: 50 Mississippi high school football questions, 50 days before start of 2023 season
The highlight of Burnside's season came in Week 9 in a 47-28 win against Oxford when he caught five passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns. The win triggered at seven-game win streak that ended with the Yellow Jackets' seventh MHSAA 6A state championship.
He committed to play for Mississippi State in June, beating out a top six that featured rival Ole Miss, Auburn, Texas A&M, Arkansas and Illinois.
"I want to leave a mark in my city. I want to make Mississippi State wide receiver U," Burnside said. "And I feel like if me and (North Panola's) JJ (Harrell) come in there and go hard every day, we're going to do that. We might be the best receiver duo to come to Mississippi State in the past 15-20 years."
Starkville coach Chris Jones knew he had a special player before Burnside had even taken a varsity snap.
"He came into our program as a freshman looking like a college ready player," Jones said. "Fast forward to now he's somehow got 10 times better. His motor and his willingness to be better is a large reason why he's the best receiver in the state. The sky is the limit for him."
Jordan Davis is a sports writing intern for the Mississippi Clarion Ledger. Contact him at jcdavis@gannett.com or on X, formerly knows as Twitter @JDavis34_.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State football: Braylon Burnside wants to be AJ Brown 2.0
