South Carolina football fans know that Xavier Legette is special. The Mullins, South Carolina native had a non-descript career that was held back by injuries, inconsistent playing time, and struggles with his hands before an explosion in 2023.
The dynamic pass-catcher made better use of his "Covid redshirt" than anyone else in the country as he became an All-SEC performer in 2023 after having just over 400 total yards combined in his previous four years of college.
There have been talks in Columbia over the past six months of Legette working with South Carolina football legend Deebo Samuel and his receivers trainer. That trainer's name is Nic Hill, and he is widely respected in NFL circles and has worked with some of the biggest names in the sport. Players like Deebo Samuel, Odell Beckham Jr., DK Metcalf, and DeAndre Hopkins have trained with Hill.
In a conversation with bettingodds.com's Kyle Odegard, Hill spoke about the Gamecock wideout.
When Odegard asked Hill to name players who have stood out to him during training sessions this draft cycle, Legette was the first name to come to mind.
Hill told Odegard that Legette has been "super impressive," and he believes the talented wideout could become "one of the top receivers in the game" if things go well for him.
It's easy to see what Hill sees in Xavier Legette as a player. Nicknamed XL, he has good size (measured anywhere from 6'1 and 6'3" and over 220 pounds) and excellent speed (expected to run in the low-4.4s or high 4.3s at the NFL Combine). He also has a big-time work ethic and impressive mental toughness that has seen him battle through adversity on and off the field.
After the slow start to his career, Legette went on to put up some of the best numbers in college football this fall, tallying 1255 yards in just 12 games (despite missing about two separate halves with minor injuries). The yardage total is the 2nd-best single-season mark in South Carolina football history, behind only Alshon Jeffery's 2010 season.
The wide receiver guru also told Odegard that Texas receiver Xavier Worthy is a name to watch.
As of now, Legette is being projected anywhere from the back end of the 1st round to the 3rd round of the NFL Draft as the wide receiver position in this class is as deep and talented as it has ever been. After the first four or five receivers are taken, the next 15 are almost interchangeable, and Legette generally is considered part of that group.
You can read Odegard's entire article from his conversation with Nic Hill here.