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WCG’s lead draft analyst speaks with South Carolina’s All-SEC standout receiver.

Few players in college football did more to boost their stock in 2023 than South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette.

Legette had been highly touted within the Gamecocks organization leading up to this last season; he just needed the opportunity. He got exactly that when he became the team’s No. 1 wide receiver, and he took that chance and ran with it. He exploded for 71 receptions, 1,255 yards and 7 touchdowns, earning himself a second-team All-SEC nomination.

After one of the best seasons for a wide receiver in South Carolina’s history, Legette finds himself as one of the most intriguing receivers in the 2024 NFL Draft class. His combination of size, speed, agility and play strength should have him high in demand when the draft rolls around.

Windy City Gridiron spoke with Legette about his breakout 2023 season, maintaining his high level of size and speed, his partnership with the Six Star 100% Whey Protein Plus Ready-to-Drink shake in Kellogg’s Froot Loops cereal flavor, and more.

JI: We’re here promoting the new Six Star Pro Nutrition Froot Loops protein shake, which is available this month in Sam’s Club. How’s that been helping you in this pre-draft process?
XL: The Six Star protein shake, man, it’s very helpful in being able to help me sustain my weight with all the workouts that I’m doing and also helped me recover.

JI: Most protein shakes don’t actually taste like what they’re advertising, so it’s cool that the Froot Loops shake actually tastes good.
XL: Yeah, it actually tastes like Froot Loops, so that’s guaranteed. You know the milk at the bottom after you eat the Froot Loops? It’s just like that.

JI: You took an incredible leap in production in 2023. What went into that breakout year?
XL: Ah man, it was just mainly based off availability. You can’t get anywhere without the production, man. This was the the healthiest season I had in my five years over at South Carolina, and then just the opportunity. The way offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains moved me around, they put me in position to make those plays and put it on display.

JI: You’ve got the high-end speed, but you’re also much more built than the average receiver. How do you maintain that frame without sacrificing your athleticism?
XL: All that just falls onto how I work out. That’s really the main thing. I feel comfortable at this position, man. Once I got to 228, 230, it had my confidence level just skyrocketing.

JI: With your skill sets and both being South Carolina guys, you’re naturally gonna get Deebo Samuel comparisons. What does it mean to you to be in that conversation with him?
XL: That just means that I’m doing something good (laughs). He’s a great player, and that just indicates that I’m doing something good.

JI: It’s been a busy pre-draft process for you, going to the Senior Bowl, the Combine and all your team visits. How’s that going?
XL: It’s been great for me, man. The biggest takeaway that I’ve learned through this process, is I just gotta stay patient. From the end of college football season through this draft process, it’s like a three-month interview. It’s like I just keep talking to the same teams over and over. I’m not really sure what they’re trying get an understanding of, because it just be the same questions. Just being able to stay patient through this whole process, man, I’m just waiting on this Thursday or Friday, if I have to wait ‘til Friday.

JI: You’ve been on a lot of visits. Early on when they started, how did that feeling sink in of, “hey, I’m interviewing with an NFL team right now?”
XL: I’ll say that when that really first sunk in for me would be my freshman year of college. During fall camp, we’d have 10, 15 coaches coming all throughout camp, and all throughout the season, as well. I really started interviewing then for these guys. They’d always tell me they’d always been seeing me once I’ve been to South Carolina; I’d just never even put the production out there. But now, they’re on me.

JI: I wanna talk about your approach as a route runner. It’ll depend on the route, but can you walk me through your general pre-snap thoughts, what you’re looking for and what you aim to do right off the line of scrimmage?
XL: First, I just check my triangle. My triangle will be the inside backer, from the safety, into the corner that’s right in front of me. I’m just looking at what coverage they’re gonna go to, because depending on the leverage of the DB, they’re gonna indicate me on what release I need to get into I need to go: inside or outside release. I could just change up the way how I want to run the route.

JI: How do you like to spend your free time outside of football?
XL: Well, during the season, man, we spend a lot of time in the business. If I’m in season, I’m mainly just staying around trying to help prevent injuries on my body and really watching film. But out of season, I ride horses, and I hunt, as well.

JI: What kind of horses do you ride?
XL: Thoroughbreds Quarter Horses.

JI: What’s the biggest prize hunt you’ve ever had?
XL: Man, I had a wild hog that was 346 pounds.

JI: Let’s say I’m an NFL general manager. What would I be getting if I drafted you to my team?
XL: You’re gonna be getting a great player, a guy that can be used on the field in many different ways, whether it’s on special teams, and then different positions on offense, as well.

My 2024 NFL Draft Guide is live now on my Patreon! You’ll receive access to my 440-player big board, scouting reports, a 7-round mock draft, positional rankings, player comparisons, and player superlatives! Half of the proceeds for the month of April will be send in a donation towards the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America.