Xavier Legette's impact at South Carolina goes beyond just the stats
It’s been a season to remember for Xavier Legette. Not only is he rewriting the record books at South Carolina, but he’s also become a key leader for the Gamecocks.
“The kid is a stud. He’s gonna be really good at the next level and we’re blessed to have him not because he’s a great player but because he’s a great kid,” said offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains. “He does things the right way. I want my son watching him at football practice. I want my son to watch him in the offseason doing cone drills, not by himself, but bringing his teammates along with him as well.”
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Leading by example isn’t just on the field. Head coach Shane Beamer shared on Tuesday that Legette sets the tone as soon as the Gamecocks enter the facility.
“He’s usually in charge of the music that we play next door,” said Beamer. “You never know what you’re going to hear at 7:55 on a Tuesday morning and what he’s got playing. Usually I can tell Xavier’s mood based on how into the song he is, and he’s got a pretty good gift of it, because a lot of times I’ll walk in and the whole room will be like singing along to whatever song he’s picked and things like that. So he’s a great teammate. I joke but it’s true, he’s very engaged.”
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With still at least three more games to go, Legette already has 973 yards receiving on the year. Not only does that rank sixth best in FBS, but he’s also 27 yards away from becoming just the fifth player in South Carolina history to eclipse 1,000 yards receiving in a season. That list of Gamecock wide outs includes Alshon Jeffery, Sidney Rice (twice), Pharoh Cooper, and Sterling Sharpe. Cooper is the most recent Gamecock to achieve the milestone after posting 1,136 yards receiving in 2014. Jeffery currently holds the top spot with his sensational 2010 season where he amounted 1,517 yards receiving.
“We’re asking a lot of him,” said Beamer. “Obviously if you watch us closely, which I know you guys do, he’s not lining up in the same place every time because we’re not just going to say he’s always the X receiver or he’s always the Z receiver. Or, he’s always going to be on the left or right or to the field or to the boundary, because obviously if teams know that they’re going to be able to roll coverage to him and things like that. So he does a lot.”
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Prior to the start of this season, Legette racked up 423 yards receiving through his first four seasons at South Carolina. That includes 167 yards all of last year. Fast forward to today, and Legette is coming off his third 200+ yard receiving game of the season and was named a Reese’s Senior Bowl National Co-Offensive Player of the Week.
“This is a guy you get emotional when you talk about him because of his story, where he came from, and how he did it,” said Loggains. “You see this guy and he’s an impressive looking athlete but it’s his work ethic. He’s a great example for our young players to watch. For Tyshawn Russell, Nyck Harbor, Kelton Henderson, CJ Adams, just to see how this guys works everyday… He’s kind of the Pied Piper when it comes to work and all the time he invest into other people. You root for this guy, a lot. Big time.”
