Former Ole Miss Star Dexter McCluster Named to 2025 Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame Class

Former Ole Miss Rebels football star Dexter McCluster has been named to the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame’s 2025 class, the organization announced on Tuesday.

McCluster will join seven other inductees into this year’s class, including former Ole Miss assistant coach Derrick Nix who played football at Southern Miss. Nix left the Rebels last offseason to take the offensive coordinator position with the Auburn Tigers.

While at Ole Miss from 2006-09, McCluster became an instant fan favorite, earning First Team All-America honors in 2009. He finished his Rebel career No. 2 all-time in career all-purpose yards (4,089) behind only Deuce McAllister (4,889). He was also seventh all-time in rushing yards with 1,955.

The 2008 and 2009 seasons saw McCluster earn back-to-back Cotton Bowl MVP honors as the Rebels won both of those contests. He was only the second player in Cotton Bowl history to earn that distinction in consecutive seasons (SMU’s Doak Walker), and he was inducted into the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame in 2021 and the Ole Miss M-Club Hall of Fame in 2022.

McCluster was the first player in SEC history with 1,000 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in 2009, and he was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs with the No. 36 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. He then spent nine seasons in the NFL with the Chiefs, Tennessee Titans and San Diego (now Los Angeles) Chargers. He also spent a season with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts in 2018.

McCluster and the rest of the class will be officially enshined on Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame Induction Weekend on Aug. 1-2, 2025.

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