With the addition of Wednesday’s commitment announcement of Starkville wide receiver Braylon “Stonka” Burnside to Mississippi State, a trio of 2024 seniors from the Golden Triangle are set to play Power Five college football; Burnside, Kahnen Daniels (Florida), and Trey Petty (Illinois).
This region is no stranger to elite football talent, so The Dispatch went back through the archives to check out the top 10 highest-rated football recruits from the Golden Triangle since the Class of 2015. All ratings courtesy of 247sports.
No. 10: Jalil Clemons – SDE, Starkville (88 rated; Class of 2019)
Clemons, a defensive end out of Starkville, was part of the Class of 2019, the highest-rated recruit in the Golden Triangle that year and No. 19 recruit in Mississippi.
The 6-3, 240-pound prospect committed to Memphis, where he played in 26 games over three seasons before transferring to Southern Miss in 2021, playing his last two seasons there.
Clemons has recorded 3.5 tackles for loss and one sack during his time with the Golden Eagles, and nine tackles for loss and three sacks while at Memphis.
No. 9: Eli Acker – OT, Heritage Academy (89 rated; Class of 2020)
Acker, an offensive tackle from Columbus, was the highest-ranked recruit in the Golden Triangle in the Class of 2020 and the No. 11 overall recruit in the state.
He ended up committing to Ole Miss, where he’s spent his last four seasons, including 2203, finishing up his redshirt junior season.
Acker appeared in all 13 games for the Rebels for the second-straight year, playing in both the Texas Bowl last season against Texas Tech and the Peach Bowl this year, where No. 11 Ole Miss took down No. 10 Penn State.
No. 8: Luke Altmyer – QB, Starkville (90 rated; Class of 2021)
We head back to Starkville with the highest-ranked quarterback on this top 10, former Yellow Jacket Luke Altmyer.
The first 90-plus-rated player on this list, Altmyer was the top recruit from the Golden Triangle in the Class of 2021 and No. 5 overall prospect in the state. He originally committed to Ole Miss, transferring out after playing just nine games in two seasons.
Altmyer left for Illinois, the future home of Starkville senior Trey Petty, an early enrollee with the Fighting Illini, and was named the Illinois starter coming into the 2023 season. He started nine games, throwing for 1,883 yards and 13 passing touchdowns while running for 282 yards and three rushing touchdowns.
No. 7: Braylon Burnside – WR, Starkville (90 rated; Class of 2024)
Burnside finds himself firmly in the top 10 of this list, tied in rating with Altmyer and the first of two Class of 2024 recruits to be included. He’s currently the No. 8 overall senior in the state.
His career at Starkville has been a prolific one, recording two-straight 1,000-plus-yard, 10-plus-touchdown seasons for the Yellow Jackets.
Burnside was part of last season’s seventh state championship in program history, and in his career, he has 2,243 receiving yards and 29 receiving touchdowns for Starkville. He’ll be headed up Route 12 to Mississippi State, joining a stacked incoming receiver class.
No. 6: Marcus Murphy – S, West Point (91 rated; Class of 2018)
The first of two-straight West Point players to be included on this list, next up is Class of 2018 recruit Marcus Murphy, a safety who committed to Mississippi State.
Murphy was the No. 2 overall recruit in the state and No. 237 ranked prospect overall according to 247. He played over parts of three seasons for the Bulldogs, opting out the remainder of the 2020 season to focus on the NFL Draft.
He ended up signing with the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2021, getting dropped from the team shortly after. He most recently played for the Orlando Guardians of the XFL in 2023.
No. 5: Kahnen Daniels – RB, West Point (91 rated; Class of 2024)
Our second addition from the Class of 2024 is West Point running back Kahnen Daniels, a 91-rated overall recruit and the No. 9 prospect in Mississippi this year.
The Florida early enrollee had one of the great two-year stretches of any player in the state, running for 2,000 yards and 20-plus touchdowns in consecutive seasons.
This past year, he capped off a prolific career with 2,737 rushing yards and 29 rushing touchdowns as West Point won its 12th state championship. After falling in the state championship game the previous three seasons, it was the perfect way to cap off his career before heading to Gainesville.
No. 4: Kobe Jones – DT, Starkville (92 rated; Class of 2016)
Jones, another Starkville player, is the third-highest Starkville recruit over the past decade in the region, the No. 9 overall recruit in Mississippi in the Class of 2016.
The 6-foot-4, 285-pound defensive tackle, committed to Mississippi State, staying home in Starkville, but transitioned to a linebacker during his time with the Bulldogs.
He recorded 21.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks in 49 games at Mississippi State, getting signed as an undrafted free agent with the Atlanta Falcons.
Since then, he’s bounced around, going to the Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans, Green Bay Packers, where played in two games in 2022, and most recently, the Carolina Panthers, where he was waived in August 2023.
No. 3: Kylin Hill – RB, Columbus (94 rated; Class of 2017)
The highest-ranked recruit from Columbus over the past decade and second- highest ranked recruit from the Golden Triangle in the Class of 2017, Hill was named Offensive Player of the Year in his junior and senior years at Columbus by The Dispatch and signed with Mississippi State.
He was the No. 5 overall prospect in the state and No. 14 running back in his class and ran wild as Bulldog from 2017-20, recording 2,535 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns, including a 1,300 yard rushing season in 2019.
Hill was drafted in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers, playing in 10 games between 2021 and 2022. He recorded 36 yards of total offense during that time, and was waived in November 2022.
No. 2: A.J. Brown – WR, Starkville (96 rated; Class of 2016)
The highest-ranked recruit from the Golden Triangle in the Class of 2016, A.J. Brown might be the best player that the Golden Triangle has produced in the 21st century.
His college decision wasn’t loved by all, choosing Ole Miss over Mississippi State despite living in Starkville, but his career since that point has been impressive. He came out as the No. 2 ranked recruit in the state, the No. 5 wide receiver in the country and No. 47 overall prospect in the Class of 2016.
At Ole Miss, he recorded two 1,000-yard seasons, finishing with 2,984 receiving yards and 19 receiving touchdowns, opting out after his junior year for the NFL Draft.
He was chosen with the No. 51 overall pick in 2019 by the Tennessee Titans and has become one of the NFL’s best receivers since then, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, second team All-Pro selection in 2022 and owner of two-straight 1,400 yard seasons.
Brown is just 62 yards away from 6,000 receiving yards in his career, and since being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022, has evolved into a superstar at just 26 years old.
No. 1: Willie Gay Jr. – OLB, Starkville (97 rated; Class of 2015)
The top recruit from the Golden Triangle since 2015 is yet another Starkville player, a teammate of A.J. Brown and Kobe Jones and the second-highest ranked Class of 2017 prospect in Mississippi.
Gay, a 97-rated recruit, was the No. 3 outside linebacker in the country and No. 33 overall recruit in the country, stayed home and signed with Mississippi State. He recorded six sacks, three interceptions and a touchdown during his tenure with the Bulldogs, forgoing his senior season for the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Kansas City Chiefs selected him with the 63rd overall selection in 2020, and he’s played his entire four-year NFL career with them, recording four interceptions, 17 tackles for loss and nine quarterback hits in that time.
He also has recorded 19 pass deflections, a pick-six, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries for Kansas City, where he was a key part of their Super Bowl LVII victory over Philadelphia.
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 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
Join the Discussion