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The University of Mississippi Athletics
10/22/2026 | Baseball, Football
JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame unveiled their 2027 class of inductees on Thursday, selecting a pair of former Ole Miss athletes to the group in former tight end Kris Mangum as well as dual sport athlete and baseball standout Seth Smith.
A three-year member of the football team from 1994 to 1996, Mangum earned all-SEC and all-American honors as a tight end during his time in Oxford. The Magee, Mississippi native caught 74 passes for 729 yards and four touchdowns during his three seasons, finishing his career second in receptions for a tight end in program history.
Mangum would go on to be a seventh-round draft choice by the Carolina Panthers in 1997, where he shared time with former Rebel Wesley Walls at tight end. He would end his career playing in 126 NFL games for the Panthers, pulling in 151 receptions for 1,424 yards with nine touchdowns, helping Carolina reach Super Bowl XXXVIII.
Mangum was inducted into the Ole Miss Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008 and was selected as an SEC Legend in 2016.
Smith played three seasons for the Rebels from 2002 to 2004, posting a career batting average of .338 with 16 home runs, 127 RBI, and 117 runs scored. He was named SEC Freshman of the Year and earned Freshman All-America honors in 2002 after he hit .402 with 52 RBI and 36 runs scored in his first collegiate season. He served as backup to Eli Manning at quarterback as a member of the Ole Miss football team as well.
A native of Jackson, Mississippi, Smith was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the second round (50th overall) of the 2004 MLB Draft. He played 11 MLB seasons with five clubs, hitting 126 home runs. Smith helped lead the Colorado Rockies to the 2007 World Series.
The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame class of 2027 will be formally enshrined during the weekend of July 30-31.
A three-year member of the football team from 1994 to 1996, Mangum earned all-SEC and all-American honors as a tight end during his time in Oxford. The Magee, Mississippi native caught 74 passes for 729 yards and four touchdowns during his three seasons, finishing his career second in receptions for a tight end in program history.
Mangum would go on to be a seventh-round draft choice by the Carolina Panthers in 1997, where he shared time with former Rebel Wesley Walls at tight end. He would end his career playing in 126 NFL games for the Panthers, pulling in 151 receptions for 1,424 yards with nine touchdowns, helping Carolina reach Super Bowl XXXVIII.
Mangum was inducted into the Ole Miss Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008 and was selected as an SEC Legend in 2016.
Smith played three seasons for the Rebels from 2002 to 2004, posting a career batting average of .338 with 16 home runs, 127 RBI, and 117 runs scored. He was named SEC Freshman of the Year and earned Freshman All-America honors in 2002 after he hit .402 with 52 RBI and 36 runs scored in his first collegiate season. He served as backup to Eli Manning at quarterback as a member of the Ole Miss football team as well.
A native of Jackson, Mississippi, Smith was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the second round (50th overall) of the 2004 MLB Draft. He played 11 MLB seasons with five clubs, hitting 126 home runs. Smith helped lead the Colorado Rockies to the 2007 World Series.
The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame class of 2027 will be formally enshrined during the weekend of July 30-31.
Wednesday, October 21
Tuesday, October 20
Tuesday, October 20
Monday, October 19