Xavier Legette ready to grow role, build on Gator Bowl success
Xavier Legette waited until the Gamecocks’ last game of the year to have his coming out party.
The in-state receiver had seven catches for 78 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including a ridiculously acrobatic 42-yarder Legette jokes he watches every time he sees it on social media.
But Legette knows that’s in the past and it’s now about growing in a new offense under Dowell Loggains.
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“I just wanted to keep that going, man,” Legette said. “That was a great game for me, that bowl game. And I just want to put a lot more of that together and keep striving in that right direction.”
As the South Carolina native has worked to continue his personal momentum into the spring, the scenery in the offensive meetings around him has changed.
The departures of a pair of veteran receivers and the arrival of a new offensive coordinator have opened the door for Legette to expand his game.
“With Jalen Brooks and Josh Vann leaving, I’ve got to play a big part in this offense,” he said. “Like I always say, I can do a lot of things within this offense. What coach Loggains is bringing, man, I like it.”
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The Gator Bowl performance proved his abilities. And with the return of redshirt senior quarterback Spencer Rattler he is confident that he’ll have the opportunity to make plays in the passing game.
Legette emerging as a consistent outside threat will help establish Loggains’ offense.
He praised his new offensive coordinator’s coaching style and shared their initial connection.
“As soon as Coach Loggains came in, I had a talk with him. And he told me he could put the ball in my hands,” Legette said. “I dove into the playbook as soon as we got it. The way how I know it is like how I know the front and back of my hand.”
On top of playing in 41 games for the Gamecocks, including 20 starts at wide receiver, Legette is also a dangerous returner.
Legette has returned 19 kicks in his career, punctuated by a 100-yard touchdown on the opening kickoff at home against Texas A&M.
Legette’s performance in spring practice will determine how much of an impact he will have on the offense. And he is confident he can be a playmaker for South Carolina in the fall.
