Browns Draft Prospect: South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette

Xavier Legette, a 6’3, 227-pound wide receiver, played five seasons with the South Carolina Gamecocks and helped lead them to two bowl appearances in 2021 and 2022. Legette was a three-star recruit out of Mullins, South Carolina, and was the 10th-ranked prospect in the state.

Once at South Carolina, Legette caught nine passes for 80 yards and a touchdown through 11 games as a true freshman in 2019. Legette’s role increased in his sophomore season after winning a starting spot and catching seven passes for 113 yards through the first six games. The receiver was sidelined for the remainder of the COVID-19-shortened season after sustaining a hamstring injury.

In 2021, Legette returned to the field, playing in 11 total games and starting in four, but missed time after a motorcycle accident left the receiver with scrapes and open wounds. Despite the injury and open wounds, Legette continued to play and even brought in the game-winning touchdown catch against Vanderbilt on Oct. 16. Legette finished his Junior year with eight receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown.

2022 was another step forward for the South Carolina receiver, playing in all 13 games and making seven starts for the Gamecocks. Legette finished the year with 18 receptions for 167 yards and three touchdowns. He also returned 15 kickoffs for 447 yards and returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown against the Texas A&M Aggies. While the receiver's numbers weren't outstanding, his time on the field and targets had increased. receptions

Legette’s breakout year came in his fifth and final season in Columbia, making him one of the top receivers in the nation. The Gamecocks receiver caught 71 passes for 1,255 yards and seven touchdowns through 12 games.

His 2023 performance earned him multiple honors, including making the Senior Bowl All-American Team, being named Third-Team All-American, First-Team All-SEC, Second-Team All-SEC Wide Receiver, Second-Team All-SEC All-Purpose, Steve Spurrier Award, and the 2023 Most Outstanding Senior. The Gamecocks finished the year with a 5-7 record and failed to become bowl-eligible though.

Legette’s noted strengths according to Bleacher Report: 

• Great size and build for the position. Tall, muscular frame.
• Very good contested-catch ability. Strong hand-eye coordination and flexibility to adjust to the ball.
• Above-average long speed for a player his size. Can be a vertical presence.
• Above-average bully-ball style YAC player. Strong downhill mover with some speed.

Legette’s noted weaknesses: 

• Poor footwork and explosiveness at the line of scrimmage. Too often fails to gain ground quickly.
• Below-average acceleration and burst. Needs to stride out for a bit to reach top speed.
• Below-average change-of-direction ability in the open field.
• Can struggle to work back to the quarterback and find the ball at times.

Xavier Legette compared to other 2024 prospects: 

Xavier Legette - South Carolina Gamecocks - 6’3 - 227 lbs

• 53 Games 
• 113 Receptions 
• 1,678 Receiving Yards (14.8 Yards Per Reception) 
• 12 Touchdowns  

Marvin Harrison Jr - Ohio State Buckeyes - 6’3 - 205 lbs

• 38 Games 
• 155 Receptions 
• 2,613 Receiving Yards (16.9 Yards Per Reception)
• 31 Touchdowns

Malik Nabers - Louisiana State Tigers - 6’0 - 200 lbs

• 38 Games 
• 189 Receptions 
• 3,003 Receiving Yards (15.9 Yards Per Reception)  
• 21 Touchdowns 

Rome Odunze - Washington Huskies - 6’3 - 215 lbs 

• 40 Games 
• 214 Receptions 
• 3,272 Receiving Yards (15.3 Yards Per Reception)  
• 24 Touchdowns 

Xavier Worthy - Texas Longhorns - 6’1 - 172 lbs

• 39 Games 
• 197 Receptions 
• 2,755 Receiving Yards (14.0 Yards Per Reception) 
• 26 Touchdowns 

While Legette’s footwork, acceleration, and change of direction are areas of concern, his size, hand-eye coordination, speed, and ability to fight for extra yards make him a perfect fit for the Cleveland Browns wide receiver room.        

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