100 Day Bulldog Countdown: 5 Days - No. 5, SAF Stonka Burnside and TE Max Reese

Year two of the Jeff Lebby era has arrived and the Mississippi State coach is back to work.

After a disappointing first season, the coach and his staff are doing what they can to get things back on track in Starkville. The players on the field will be the difference for State this season if they are to make a return and we’re going to discuss every single one of them.

As we do every year, we’re counting down 100 days until State’s first game at Southern Miss in Hattiesburg on August 30. Over this period of time, we’ll breakdown every scholarship player on the roster, look back at great moments in MSU history and even talk about legends that have come before the current Bulldogs.

Today, we look at a young athlete making a move to a new position and a transfer tight end looking to make an impact.

5 Days: No. 5, So. Safety Stonka Burnside          

A lifelong dream of playing in the SEC and doing it for the Bulldogs came true for Burnside after his senior season.

At the Under Armour All-American, Burnside was surrounded by his family on national television when he announced to the world he would be playing for Lebby and the Bulldogs in college. The decision came with a ton of hard work from Lebby and wide receivers coach Chad Bumphis as they got him back in the boat and secured his signature.

Burnside had initially decommitted from the Bulldogs after struggles started mounting for Zach Arnett and his staff. The SHS athlete had originally committed to State over offers from Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Auburn, Arkansas, Oregon, Florida State, South Carolina and Oregon. The Bulldogs held on to that commitment until late in the regular season when he decided to open things back up and the pressure turned up from Ole Miss, Auburn and A&M.

When Lebby was hired at State just a few days after the Battle for the Golden Egg, Burnisde got the full court press from the staff. The Bulldogs got him in on an official visit and he was sold before holding that commitment until the start of the new year.

An All-State performer, Burnside started his career at SHS playing safety before giving wide receiver a whirl. He went down as one of the all-time leaders in receiving as he had 75 catches for 1,158 yards in a Class 7A State Championship season in 2022 and another 1,006 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior with the season concluding with a tough loss in the title games against Oak Grove.

Burnside came to State highly thought off with a national ranking of 136 overall by Rivals.com and he was the No. 5 player in the state of Mississippi. Burnside enrolled early but found himself in a logjam of talent in the receiver room that didn’t allow for much playing time.

In the meantime, Burnside found a spot on special teams and the staff allowed him to play a gunner role for the punt team. Routinely, Burnside could be seen as the first player to the ball, and his open-field tackling caught the eye of Bulldog fans. Soon, murmurs began from the fanbase that Burnside should get a shot on the defense.

In the offseason, that thought has been realized with Burnside making a move to safety. It’s been a steady transition for Burnside but he has the natural ability to do big things on defense. If this year isn’t his year, he has a chance to do some big things before it’s said and done.

No. 5, Jr. Tight End Max Reese

There were still some points of emphasis for the Bulldog staff in the transfer portal when the spring came around and Jon Cooper needed to add to his tight end room.

The coach landed an Indiana TE in Sam West, but he also got a highly productive pass catcher and blocker from Eastern Michigan in Reese. A native of Oak Park, Ill., and a standout at Fenwick High School, Reese has a state championship ring after leading his high school squad to its first 5A title as a senior in 2021.  

Reese had a record-breaking season that senior year as he brought in 79 catches for 1,473 yards and 18 touchdowns – all career highs. Reese grabbed offers from Arizona State, Kansas, UNLV and several others, but EMU would be his destination as the state of Illinois’ No. 27 player overall would head to Michigan for college.

After redshirting his first year on campus, Reese started to compete for playing time. He had just two catches in his redshirt freshman season but started in a game and played in eight. Last season, as a sophomore, Reese’s production grew. He played in all 12 games and started in four of them while seeing his output grow to 27 catches for 232 yards and two scores.

The 6’3, 250-pounder hit the transfer portal for more opportunity this spring and the Bulldogs were a good fit for him as they were looking for depth and blocking ability to add to the room and Reese was looking for a chance in a bigger conference. Since his commitment in April and subsequent journey to Starkville during the summer, Reese has been working hard to take some reps this year as a junior.

Seydou Traore appears to have a strong grip on the number one spot, but Reese is emerging as a potential first backup.