Xavier Legette, WR South Carolina: 2024 NFL Draft Profile
Legette was a three-star recruit from Mullins High School in Mullins, S.C. in the class of 2019
South Carolina breakout star Xavier Legette is one of the most physically gifted wide receivers in the 2024 NFL Draft. His combination of height, weight, speed, and production doesn’t come around every year. Teams will target Legette early in the draft.
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Xavier Legette, WR South Carolina: 2024 NFL Draft Profile
Classification: Redshirt senior wide receiver from Mullins, S.C.
Background: Legette was a three-star recruit from Mullins High School in Mullins, S.C. in the class of 2019. He was the No. 706 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 762 for On3.com. Legette was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 74 grade out of 100. He played quarterback as a high school senior, passing for 887 yards and 14 touchdowns and rushing for 1,826 yards and 19 touchdowns. Legette led Mullins to an 8-2 record and the second round of the AA state playoffs. He was one of three finalists for the 2018 WPDE Zoneman Trophy. As a high school sophomore, Legette produced 733 yards and eight touchdowns on 44 receptions. He also played baseball and basketball. Legette was born on Jan. 29, 2001. He earned a degree in sport and entertainment management from South Carolina.
Injuries & Off-Field: Missed four games in 2020 with a hamstring injury, missed two games after a motorcycle accident in 2021
Awards: 2022 Gamecocks’ Toughness Award – Offense
Pros: Special teams experience on the kick return, kick coverage, punt return, and punt coverage units, successful kick returner, experience operating in the slot and out wide, elite height/weight/speed combination, long and explosive first step off the line, twitchy release, impressive footwork in release package, rare acceleration at his size, elite speed to stack defenders, speed terrifies corners in off-man, press corners need safety help over the top, easily stacks press corners, quiet feet and eye-catching deceleration on comeback routes, separates on crossers, natural separator with speed and acceleration, throws head fakes and cuts suddenly on post routes to cross the defender’s face, angle eraser with home run speed, natural hands catcher, catch radius, comfortable making contested catches over defenders, high points the ball well, late hands, willing downfield blocker
Cons: Arm length is good but maybe not great, late bloomer, limited had usage against press coverage, contact early in the route derails his acceleration, too content running into and trying to play through defenders early in the route, needs to handle early contact better, route definition is inconsistent at the short to intermediate levels, more of a straight line speedster than dynamic/twitchy ball carrier, occasionally jumps too early on contested catches, room to work back to the ball in contested catch situations, doesn’t break many tackles despite his size, limited elusiveness and creativity with the ball in his hands
Overview: Legette primarily saw playing time on special teams early in his college career, including successful stints on the kick return unit. He also has experience on the kick coverage, punt return, and punt coverage units, On offense, Legette lines up both in the slot and out wide. The redshirt senior is a rare athlete with an elite height, weight, and speed combination. It all starts with his long and explosive first step off the line of scrimmage. He has some twitchy footwork in his release to rapidly zip past press corners or laterally hop around them. Legette’s acceleration is rare for a player with his size and density. He has the elite speed to stack press or off-man defenders. Press corners need safety help over the top to prevent blown coverages. Legette isn’t just a vertical threat. His quiet feet and surprising deceleration allow him to generate separation on comeback routes with tight turns. The South Carolina native also separates on crossers with his natural burst and speed. He throws head fakes and cuts suddenly on post routes to cross the defender’s face. Legette erases angles after the catch with his game-changing speed, but he lacks elusiveness and creativity with the ball in his hands. He also doesn’t break many tackles despite possessing a powerful frame. Legette is a natural hands catcher who gets his hands up late to prevent the defensive back from predicting the ball’s path. The former three-star recruit has a large catch radius that he uses to high point the ball and comfortably make contested catches over defenders. He’s also a willing downfield blocker. Legette doesn’t use his hands much during his release and is too willing to accept contact early in the route despite it stalling his acceleration. He needs to avoid early contact more often and use his hands to make defenders regret entering his space. Legette’s route definition is inconsistent at the short to intermediate levels. He is still developing as a three-level threat. The fifth-year receiver relies more on straight line speed than twitch or dynamic athleticism. There’s room for him to work back to the ball in contested catch situations more consistently. NFL teams will wonder why Legette was such a late bloomer with all of his physical talent.
Overall, Legette is a rare athlete with possibly the best combination of height, weight, and speed in the draft class. Those physical traits combined with Legette’s acceleration and ball skills make the South Carolina product a big play waiting to happen. He isn’t a consistent threat at all three levels yet, but it’s easy to buy into his upside.
Role & Scheme Fit: Versatility to play X, Y, or Z in an 11-personnel scheme
Round Projection: Early Second to Mid Second
Size: 6'3", 227 lbs. (Unofficial)
Submitted: 10-09-23