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Xavier Legette entering crucial senior campaign

On3 imageby:Michael Sauls•08/24/22•

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On3 image
South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette during fall camp on Aug. 17, 2022. (Katie Dugan, Gamecock Central)

Despite the fact that he’s entering his senior year, it feels like South Carolina fans have yet to see Xavier Legette operating at maximum capacity.

The former three-star product from South Carolina has seen his fair share of opportunities and shown flashes. But injuries have kept his results limited.

He’s yet to play in every game of the season during his career. The most was 11 games as a freshman in 2019 and again last year. An injury limited him to just six games in 2020.

Last season he only caught 57 percent of targets, the biggest a game-winning touchdown against Vanderbilt. The issue was injuries sustained in the accident stunted his progression in year one under Shane Beamer.

Now Legette says he’s “as healthy as I’ve ever felt.”

He’ll have a chance to compete for serious snaps this season. 

“He’ll go up and attack a ball in a heartbeat, he’s freakish like that,” Satterfield said. “He had two or three catches where he just kinda let the ball get on his body. And coach challenged him to attack football and consecutive days. He went up and made just unbelievable catches, just going to attack the ball.”

Legette is one piece of what’s a vastly deeper South Carolina receiver room than the ones he played in his first three years on campus. 

The addition of playmakers like Juice Wells and Corey Rucker added to a group that is already returning the likes of Dakereon Joyner, Ahmarean Brown, Josh Vann and Jalen Brooks. 

Legette believes that he’ll still get his shot and the offense will take strides regardless of who actually plays. 

“We can take a big step. We can do a lot of great things with this offense,” he said. “They’re giving everybody opportunities and we just try to take ownership to the opportunity.”

So far through fall camp Legette has already made strong impressions. South Carolina’s given him reps with the first and second teams this preseason.

“Xavier Legette continues to impress. He was really impressive in the spring and continues to do a great job right now,” Shane Beamer said.

Offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield said that he’s seen large improvements. The biggest have been Legette’s size, athletic ability, competitiveness and understanding of the offense.

Satterfield said that these “freakish type athletic plays” that Legette has made so far during fall camp will help him. He’s able to play both outside receiver spots in Satterfield’s scheme.

“I think just his strength and mobility is just going to allow him to do a lot of different things which will allow him to be a lot more productive,” Satterfield said.

Outside of his physical progression Legette has made a point to be more of a vocal leader on the field, embracing his veteran role as his senior season approaches. 

“I try to make sure everybody knows the plays, I try to be very talkative because that’s something that I lack at,” Legette said. “I don’t really talk a lot to most of the players about being efficient on the field, but I try to talk a lot more this year.”

Beamer said after the first scrimmage of the summer that he is excited to see how far veteran guys like Legette have progressed. 

“’I’m excited about the returning guys and the way that they’ve worked and elevated their game this year,” Beamer said. 

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