Former Ole Miss Rebels football star Dexter McCluster has been inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame’s 2025 class, the organization announced Tuesday.
McCluster will join seven other freshmen, including former Ole Miss assistant coach Derrick Nix, who played football at the University of Southern Mississippi. Nix left the Rebels last offseason to take the offensive coordinator position with the Auburn Tigers.
While at Ole Miss from 2006 to 2009, McCluster quickly became a fan favorite, earning First Team All-American honors in 2009. He finished his Rebels career second all-time in all-purpose yards (4,089) behind Deuce McAllister. (4,889). He also ranked seventh all-time in rushing yards with 1,955.
In the 2008 and 2009 seasons, McCluster earned back-to-back Cotton Bowl MVP honors as the Rebels won both contests. He is the second player in Cotton Bowl history to earn that honor in consecutive seasons (SMU’s Doak Walker) and will be inducted into the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame in 2021 and the Ole Miss M Club Hall of Fame in 2022. Ta.
McCluster was the first player in SEC history to reach 1,000 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in 2009, and was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs with the 36th 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 formally recognized during the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame induction weekend on August 1 and 2, 2025.
Read more Ole Miss On SI content:
– Lane Kiffin offers words of encouragement after Ole Miss loss to LSU
– Could Ole Miss football finish better after the bye week?
– Why Lane Kiffin won’t ‘overreact’ to Ole Miss’ loss to LSU on Saturday
– Ole Miss DB Key Lawrence takes redshirt year, removed from roster
