Rebel Great Dexter McCluster Named to 2024 SEC Football Legends Class

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.– (Release) Rebel football great Dexter McCluster has been named as Ole Miss’ representative on the SEC Football Legends Class for 2024, as announced by the conference on Tuesday afternoon.

McCluster will be one of 16 former football standouts who will be recognized in December during the SEC Football Championship Game in Atlanta. Combined, this class of legends was responsible for nearly 2,300 points scored and nearly 1,000 tackles on defense. Together they caught passes for more than 5,000 yards, rushed for more than 7,000 yards and passed for nearly 30,000 yards.

McCluster – who just recently was elected to the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2025 – was an elusive utility man during his career with the Rebels from 2006-09 and stands as one of the best all-purpose players in Ole Miss football history. He was chosen as a first-team All-American in 2009 by the All-American Football Foundation following a superb senior season that saw him end his Ole Miss career No. 2 on the Ole Miss career all-purpose yardage list at 4,089 (behind only Deuce McAllister’s 4,889) and No. 7 among all-time rushers with 1,955.

McCluster also capped his career off by becoming just the second back-to-back MVP in the history of the Cotton Bowl Classic in 2009 and 2010, joining SMU’s Doak Walker. For his Cotton Bowl heroics, McCluster was inducted into the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame in 2021, while the following year he was elected to the Ole Miss M-Club Hall of Fame in 2022.

McCluster’s versatility was recognized both nationally and among his conference peers, earning All-SEC honors twice as an all-purpose player, as well as both a wide receiver in 2008 and 2009 and as a running back in 2009. McCluster received the National Running Back Trophy from the College Football Performance Awards and was named to Athlon’s SEC All-Decade team for 2000-09. He was the first player in SEC history with 1,000 rushing yards (1,169) and 500 receiving yards (520) in the same season in 2009 – still the third-most single-season rushing yards in Ole Miss history.

He was selected in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs with the No. 36 overall pick, beginning a pro career that saw him make the Pro Bowl in 2013 and be selected as an All-Pro. McCluster ultimately had a nine-year NFL career, playing for Kansas City, Tennessee and San Diego/Los Angeles, as well as one season with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts.

The class will be honored at the 2024 SEC Football “Weekend of Champions” Dec. 6-7 in Atlanta, highlighted by the annual SEC Legends Celebration on Fri., Dec. 6 at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. The group will also be recognized prior to the SEC Football Championship Game, which will be held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sat., Dec. 7.

2024 SEC Football Legends Class

Alabama – Barrett Jones, OL, 2009-12

Arkansas – Ken Hamlin, FS, 2000-02

Auburn – Marcus McNeill, OT, 2002-05

Florida – Rex Grossman, QB, 2000-02

Georgia – Terrence Edwards, WR, 1999-2002

Kentucky – Dicky Lyons Sr., TB/WR/AP, 1966-68

LSU – Andrew Whitworth, OT, 2002-05

Mississippi State – Fletcher Cox, DL, 2009-11

Missouri – Chase Daniel, QB, 2005-08

Oklahoma – Barry Switzer, Head Coach, 1973-88

Ole Miss – Dexter McCluster, RB, 2006-09

South Carolina – Corey Miller, DE, 1987-90

Tennessee – Eric Berry, DB, 2007-09

Texas – Vince Young, QB, 2002-05

Texas A&M – Luke Joeckel, OT, 2010-12

Vanderbilt – Ricky Anderson, P/K, 1981-84