From the opening drive, the halftime show and the postgame crowning of the most valuable player, Mississippi State football coach Jeff Lebby and his staff had plenty of reason to tune into this year’s Under Armour All-America Game.

Played at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida, MSU’s signees were the stars of a 39-9 win for Team Ice.

The Bulldogs walked into the game with two signees on the winning sideline with four-star quarterback Michael Van Buren and four-star receiver Mario Craver. They came out of the game with three signees, capped by receiver Braylon Burnside announcing he is also part of Lebby’s first class.

Here's a look at how the three signees fared in the contest.

Mississippi State adds Braylon Burnside to signing class

The most important part of the festivities for Mississippi State came at halftime. During the break in play, Burnside – a four-star prospect from Starkville High School – ended a dramatic recruitment. MSU announced his signing with the program shortly afterward.

Burnside had a quiet outing, recording two catches for eight yards. However, he reaffirmed perhaps the most important commitment of Lebby’s first class.

He committed to MSU in June as former coach Zach Arnett was entering his first season at the helm. Burnside decommitted in early November − shortly after Mississippi State lost 24-3 in a homecoming game against Kentucky.

MSU and Ole Miss were the final choices for Burnside, but the local product elected to stay home.

QB Michael Van Buren named Under Armour All-America MVP

Van Buren was named the game’s MVP after completing 10 of his 15 passes for 136 yards to go along with a touchdown and a passer rating of 164.8 – best among the five quarterbacks to play.

He led a six-play, 65-yard drive to open the game. On the ensuing possession, he caught a pass to convert a two-point try.

MSU flipped Van Buren from Oregon shortly after Lebby was hired. He is a product of St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, Maryland, who will enroll at Mississippi State this month.

MOVING FORWARD: Unpacking what's left for Mississippi State football, Jeff Lebby in transfer portal

Mario Craver shows big-play ability

It was a 51-yard touchdown catch from Craver that set up the two-point play for Van Buren. Coming off a pass from NC State signee Cedrick Bailey, Craver took a pass about 15 yards past the line of scrimmage down the sideline for an easy score.

Craver finished with two catches for a game-best 66 yards. Mississippi State dominated the recruitment of the Pinson, Alabama, product after the hiring of Lebby. Craver took an official visit on Dec. 8 and committed two days later before signing on Dec. 20 when the early signing period opened.

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State football in spotlight at Under Armour All-America Game