by Ryan Myers
Photo courtesy of Garnet and Black Attack.
At Draft 412, the NFL draft talk never ends. We will keep you ready for the next set of gridiron stars—from today and all the way until draft night 2024. We will bring you mock drafts, player profiles, individual team needs, and everything else you may need related to the 2024 NFL Draft.
Today’s Spotlight - South Carolina, Wide Receiver, Xavier Legette
Name - Xavier Legette
Pos - WR
Team - South Carolina Gamecocks
HT/WT - 6’3”, 227 lbs.
Born - 01/29/2001
Home – Mullins, SC
Out of Mullins High School in his hometown of Mullins, SC, Xavier Legette was a 6’0”, 190 lbs. receiver with a 3-star recruit rating from ESPN and rivals.com, and a 4-star rating from 247Sports. Legette, a slender and versatile WR, has a wide skill set. He had two Power 5 offers from Tennessee and South Carolina and chose the Gamecocks in the fall of 2019. He is now in his 5th year with the program.
Early on in his college career, Legette was thought of as an average receiver and only started about half of the games for the Gamecocks in his first three years. He played in 28 games in these three seasons and started in 13 of them. He pulled in 24 receptions for 156 yards and 2 touchdowns. He wasn’t extremely productive in these appearances, averaging just 6.5 yards per catch, but his best was yet to come.
Legette grew three inches since he arrived on campus in 2019 and added 30 pounds. He has transformed into a huge, strong target for the new South Carolina QB Spencer Rattler and has earned more playing time since the start of last season. In his fourth year with the Gamecocks, Legette played in 13 games and started the last 7. He hauled in 18 receptions for 167 yards and 3 touchdowns.
His production at the end of the year earned him a chance to return to the team this season for his fifth year where he has absolutely shined in his first three games, already exceeding his career highs in receptions and yards. In 2023, Legette caught 22 receptions for an outstanding 367 yards and a touchdown averaging 16.7 yards per catch and 122.3 yards per game.
Several factors have gone into his hot start to the season, the greatest of which may be his newfound size and frame. He is now 6’3” and 227 pounds, giving him an advantage on 50/50 balls and high point opportunities. He has certainly put himself on the NFL radar with this production increase. Legette relies on physicality, jump ball ability, and his run after catch ability to separate himself from other prospects. He uses his size and strength to be extremely physical on the outside, which helps his blocking and his ability to gain yards after the catch.
Legette also has a chance to be a special teams contributor at the next level. His run after catch ability shines when it comes to kick returns. In his fourth year, he returned 15 kicks for 441 yards. This was a school record 29.4 yards per return.
However, Legette has some downside to consider. He’s not the best route runner and possesses average speed for the NFL. His routes tend to be rounded off and he has not shown ability to create separation consistently through his routes or by blowing away DBs with his speed.
A solid player comparison for Xavier Legette is as a poor man’s Mike Evans. The former Texas A&M product and current Tampa Bay Buccaneer receiver, Evans is a big and strong target with a habit of winning jump balls. He uses his strong and trustworthy hands to win contested catches in the end zone and has been a very reliable red zone target for his entire career.
Strengths
- Physicality
- Strength/Size
- Jump Ball/Contested Catch
Weaknesses
- Average Speed
- Route Running
Final Analysis
Xavier Legette has worked as hard as anyone in the college football world to get where he is today as the Gamecocks best playmaker on the outside. His outstanding ability to win any contested catch makes him an intimidating matchup for any DB lined up against him. While he may not be the quickest receiver on the board, he may be one of the toughest, with strong hands and physical blocking ability.
Legette may not have the attention of everyone in the college or NFL world yet, but he definitely will if he keeps playing like he has through the first three weeks of his fifth college season.
Draft 412 Draft Prediction - Round 5 or 6