The 2023 high school football season is fast approaching in the Golden Triangle.
Last season, three teams within the Dispatch coverage area reached state title games in the Mississippi High School Activities Association playoffs, and one Midsouth Association of Independent Schools program reached the state semifinals.
Plenty of excitement exists heading into next season, and with it comes a number of high-profile prospects to watch.
Here is a list of nationally ranked prospects returning for the 2023 season.
Trey Petty – QB, Starkville (Class of 2024)
Petty is coming off a state championship with Starkville, throwing for 2,737 yards and 30 touchdowns through the air and totaling 745 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground.
His 46 total touchdowns was the most of any player in Mississippi in 2022.
The 6-1, 190-pound dual-threat quarterback is listed as a three-star prospect by 247Sports and Rivals, and verbally committed to Illinois in early-May via social media.
It is unknown how hard that commitment is, but Petty is projected to compete with former Starkville QB Luke Altmyer once in Champaign-Urbana.
Heading into his senior season, he and the Yellow Jackets look to repeat as state champions, now playing as a 7A school.
Braylon Burnside – WR, Starkville (Class of 2024)
Burnside is one of two four-star prospects in the Dispatch coverage region, and the Jackets’ highest-ranked prospect.
As Petty’s main target, Burnside had a fantastic junior season for Starkville, catching 75 passes for 1,158 receiving yards and 13 receiving touchdowns.
Both marks led the team as the 6-0, 185-pound receiver also averaged 15.4 yards per catch in 2022. He is a 90-rated prospect by 247Sports and ranked as the No. 8 player in Mississippi.
Burnside currently has offers from 21 schools, including Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Arkansas, Texas A&M and Auburn.
He has yet to announce his college commitment, but his decision is one of the most anticipated announcements for the 2024 class in Mississippi.
Kahnen Daniels – ATH, West Point (Class of 2024)
Daniels is the other four-star prospect in the Dispatch coverage area, and he is coming off one of the best all-around seasons in West Point football history.
The 5-11, 190-pound quarterback/running back led a potent Green Wave offense with over 2,200 yards of offense, including more than 2,000 rushing yards and 24 rushing touchdowns.
Daniels is an 89-rated prospect by 247Sports, the No. 27 running back in the 2024 class and the No. 10 prospect in Mississippi.
He has been recruited heavily in the SEC, with offers from Auburn, Alabama and Florida. Daniels committed verbally to the Gators in mid-April, but took a visit to Michigan State after committing to Florida.
His skillset on the field speaks for itself, and whether or not he chooses to continue his career in Gainesville will be a story to watch upcoming.
Kamario Taylor – QB, Noxubee County (Class of 2025)
Taylor put himself on the radar of college scouts following his performance against Raleigh in the Class 3A title game last December, a 55-52 shootout in Hattiesburg.
He threw for 282 yards and five touchdowns, keeping Noxubee County alive against Ole Miss commit Suntarine Perkins and the Lions.
Overall, he threw for over 1,700 yards in nine games as he recovered from an injury that saw him play just one game in 2021. Taylor is a three-star recruit according to Rivals, and he possesses raw talent that has yet to be fully unlocked.
His title game performance earned him his first college offer from Sun Belt school Southern Miss, who hosted championship weekend in December.
If he can stay healthy next season, the 6-5, 165-pound quarterback should be one of the best in 3A.
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 33 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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Related Photos
Starkville wide receiver Braylon Burnside is the Jackets highest-ranked 2024 recruit. Burnside has 21 offers, including five from SEC schools. (Austin Frayser/Special to the Dispatch)
Kamario Taylor, a 2025 prospect, turned heads in the 3A title game in December. Taylor, Noxubee County’s quarterback, already has an offer from Southern Miss. (Chris McDill/Special to the Dispatch)
West Point athlete Kahnen Daniels amassed more than 2,200 yards of total offense for the Green Wave last season. Daniels, who verbally committed to Florida in April, also took a visit to Michigan State. (Austin Frayser/Special to the Dispatch)
Starkville quarterback Trey Petty is one of a handful of nationally ranked players in the Dispatch coverage area to look out for next season. The 2024 quarterback led the state in total touchdowns, threw for over 2,700 yards and led the Yellow Jackets to a state championship in 2022. (Austin Frayser/Special to the Dispatch)
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