2019 Football Roster
Roster
Malik Dear
- Position:
- WR
- Height:
- 5-9
- Weight:
- 220
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Jackson, MS
- High School/Previous School:
- Murrah HS
2018 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll
CAREER: Versatile wide receiver who spent five seasons with the program … Returned to the field in 2018 after suffering a torn ACL in his left knee in March of 2017 … Played “Z” receiver most of his career and contributed some at running back … Quick feet and was key in the return game … Played in 47 games with nine starts and accounted for six touchdowns … Two-time graduate of MSU … Earned his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology in December of 2018 and then earned his master’s degree in workforce education leadership in December 2019.
2019 SENIOR SEASON: Played in all 13 games as a reserved wideout and primary punt returner … Caught three passes for 36 yards and rushed three times for four yards … Longest catch of the year was 20 yards … Returned seven punts for 52 yards with a long of 40 … Caught two passes for 28 yards, including a season-long 20-yarder, in the win vs. Kentucky (9/21) … Had one reception for eight yards in the victory at Arkansas (11/2) … Also rushed twice for four yards against the Razorbacks.
2018 REDSHIRT JUNIOR SEASON: Appeared in 11 games … Bulk of his action came in the return game, taking over as a kick and punt returner following an injury to Brian Cole … Made one reception for 12 yards over his junior campaign … Recorded three punt returns for a total of nine yards … Returned two kickoffs for a total of 54 yards … Averaged 27.0 yards per kick return … Made a 12-yard reception vs. Louisiana (9/15) … It marked his return to the field for the first time since suffering an ACL injury in March of 2017 … Fielded his first kick return of the season for a 27-yard gain vs. Louisiana Tech (11/3) … Matched his season-long kick return of 27 yards at Ole Miss (11/22) … Returned three punts on the season, including a career-high two punt returns in the Outback Bowl vs. Iowa (1/1) … Member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll.
2017 JUNIOR SEASON: Redshirted and did not see any action after recovering from a torn ACL in spring practice.
2016 SOPHOMORE SEASON: Appeared in 12 games while starting in nine of them … Ranked third on the squad in receiving with 23 catches for 264 yards and two scores … Totaled four catches for 41 yards at UMass (9/24), including a 23-yard catch in the second quarter … Caught three passes for 32 yards the following week vs. Auburn (10/8) … Recorded his first rushing yards of the season at BYU (10/14) and finished the game with 17 yards on three rushes as well as 36 receiving yards on three catches … On a career-high five carries, ran for a career-high 77 yards, including a 45-yard TD dash in the second quarter at Kentucky (10/22) … Against Samford (10/29), caught four passes for a season-high 61 receiving yards and one touchdown … Scored crucial second-quarter touchdown on a play-action pass from Nick Fitzgerald against Ole Miss (11/26).
2015 TRUE FRESHMAN SEASON: Played in 11 games with no starts in debut campaign … Rushed for 110 yards on 11 carries with one touchdown and added 22 catches for 217 yards and two scores … Tallied three receptions for 46 yards and ran once for a gain of 19 vs. Northwestern State (9/19) … Scored his first career touchdown on a 52-yard run at No. 14 Texas A&M (10/3), while also finishing with two receptions for 23 yards … Became the first true freshman since 2009 to have at least six receptions in a game in the Louisiana Tech (10/17) home win, making six grabs for 70 yards … Did not play in the Missouri or Alabama games due to ankle injury … Caught two TDs and ran three times for 30 yards in the Egg Bowl against No. 18 Ole Miss (11/28).
HIGH SCHOOL: A consensus four-star athlete by every major recruiting website … Ranked in the ESPN300 of 2015 (No. 206) … Played wide receiver, quarterback and running back … Ranked the No. 5 player in the state by 247Sports and the No. 4 player by ESPN.com and Rivals.com … Timed in the 40-yard dash with a 4.4 … The top all-purpose athlete in the state by Scout.com and the No. 6 overall player … Finished his high school career with 3,298 rushing yards and 2,410 receiving yards … Racked up 84 total touchdowns in four seasons (56 rushing, 26 receiving, two special teams) … As a senior, tallied 322 yards rushing on 37 carries with 12 rushing touchdowns … Added 165 yards receiving and seven scores through the air … Displayed his explosive and big-play capability by averaging 11.1 yards per carry and 19.0 yards per reception for his career … Member of the Clarion-Ledger’s Dandy Dozen … Selected to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl following his senior season … As a junior, totaled 1,893 yards and 26 total touchdowns in 2013 … Coached by Zackare Grady … Committed to Mississippi State in June 2014.
PERSONAL: Born Malik Dionte Dear on Sept. 20, 1996 … Nickname is “Weeble” … Son of Lakeshia and Marcus Dear … Has three younger siblings – Damian, Marcus and Sanaa … Father of three sons – Malik Jr., Cailon and Wren.
DEAR’S CAREER HIGHS:
Receptions: 6, vs. LA Tech (10-17-15)
Receiving Yards: 70, vs. LA Tech (10-17-15)
Receiving TDs: 2, vs. Ole Miss (11-28-15)
Long Reception: 27, vs. LA Tech (10-17-15)
Rushes: 5, at Kentucky (10-22-16)
Rushing Yards: 77, at Kentucky (10-22-16)
Long Rush: 52, at Texas A&M (10-3-15)
Punt Returns: 2, (3x), last vs LSU (10-19-19)
Punt Return Yards: 40, at Louisiana (8-31-19)
Long Punt Return: 40, at Louisiana (8-31-19)
Kick Returns: 4, vs. Arkansas (11-19-16)
Kick Return Yards: 56, vs. LA Tech (10-17-15)
Long Kick Return: 34, vs. LA Tech (10-17-15)
![Jacksonville Jaguars punter Logan Cooke (9) punts during the second quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Jets 48-20. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]](https://images.sidearmdev.com/resize?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdxbhsrqyrr690.cloudfront.net%2Fsidearm.nextgen.sites%2Fmsstate.sidearmsports.com%2Fimages%2F2026%2F1%2F1%2FUSATSI_27828199.jpg&height=340&type=webp)
