Stonka Burnside named to American Conference’s Honorable Mentions list

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On Monday, the American Conference announced its weekly honors from the weekend of games, and Memphis receiver Stonka Burnside was named as an honorable mention.

Burnside finished the game with 151 yards and a touchdown on seven receptions in Friday’s game, and he led both teams in receiving yards. The receiver had 11 targets, and he only dropped one pass, according to Pro Football Focus.

The 151 yards is a career high for Burnside.

The Starkville native is up to 341 yards and three touchdowns on 18 receptions this season, and he ranks second in receiving yards this year, only behind Hunter Tipton.

Burnside was a four-star recruit out of Starkville High School, and the receiver signed with Mississippi State over 20 other offers, including Texas A&M, Arkansas and Auburn. He spent two seasons with the Bulldogs, but he was converted to a safety during that time.

He recorded five tackles during his two years and recorded only one reception during the 2024 season. He entered the transfer portal after the 2025 season, and was announced as a receiver when he signed with the Tigers. 

Burnside has started all seven games, and he has shown to be a big-play threat to opposing teams. The receiver has recorded five catches for 17 or more yards, including a 76-yard touchdown reception against Tulane. 

He scored his first touchdown in the first game of the season on a 48-yard reception against UNLV to tie the game at 14.

Memphis’ offense spreads the ball to multiple receivers, so it doesn’t have a true No. 1 or go-to receiver, but Burnside has shown that he is one of the top weapons in the Tigers’ offense.

He was the only Tiger to appear in the conference’s honorable mentions, while a pair of Green Wave players were on the list. 

Defensive back Kevin Adams III was named the conference defensive player of the week after recording nine tackles, two interceptions and a fumble recovery on Friday. TJ Smith, who had the pick-six was also named as an honorable mention.

Memphis lost to the Green Wave 31-17 to drop to 5-2 on the season and 2-1 in conference play, but it will have a quick turnaround for its next game against East Carolina. The Tigers will host the Pirates Thursday night on ESPN2. 

It was announced last week that ESPN’s “SportsCenter on Campus” will originate from Tiger Lane between 4 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. ahead of the home game. Fans and students are encouraged to show up to be part of the experience.

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