Clemson tight end Jordan Leggett’s stock is on the rise
Clemson tight end Jordan Leggett was named Atlantic Coast Conference Receiver of the Week for his performance against Florida State last Saturday.
If he could play the Seminoles every week, he’d be a shoo-in for first-team All-America honors.
Leggett has two 100-yard receiving games in his career – both against Florida State.
“I always tend to have a good game against the bigger teams,” Leggett said. “I don’t know what it is.”
It’s called being “a gamer.”
“I love to compete,” Leggett said after the Tigers’ 37-34 victory against FSU. “And this is like the ultimate competition, just being here in this stadium and going against those guys. It’s pretty ridiculous. It was definitely a big night for me.”
Leggett repeatedly found himself wide open down the middle of the field and wound up with five receptions for a career-high 122 yards – the highest yardage total for a tight end in Clemson history. He had three catches for 70 yards on Clemson’s game-clinching drive, which culminated with his 34-yard catch-and-run with 2:06 left in the game.
On the winning score, Leggett launched himself from the 4½-yard line and used his left hand to help propel himself to the end zone. It represented the type of acrobatic and athletic play that could very well boost his stock when the 2017 NFL Draft rolls around next April.
“The impressive statistics certainly have made Leggett more recognized from a mainstream perspective, but scouts were already well aware of his unique combination of size, athleticism and soft hands,” said Rob Rang, an analyst for NFLDraftScout.com.
Rang projects Leggett as the No. 5 tight end available in the NFL Draft next April, and expects him to go in Round 2 or 3.
“He was projected as a Day 2 pick prior to the season and his production this season has only reaffirmed that lofty status,” Rang said.
Leggett got off to a slow start this season, managing only one reception through the Tigers’ first three games. But he’s been on a roll of late with 19 receptions and four touchdowns in the past five games.
Leggett’s latest touchdown was his 15th, which is a school record for tight ends, and he’s poised to become Clemson’s career leader among tight ends for receptions and yardage. He enters Saturday’s game against Syracuse needing eight catches and 40 yards to supplant John McMaikin in both categories.
“He’s got an opportunity to break records as one of the best tight ends ever to play at Clemson and he’s hungry,” Clemson co-offensive coordinator Tony Elliott said of the 6-foot-5, 260-pound senior from Navarre, Fla.
This story was originally published November 5, 2016 at 1:09 AM with the headline "Clemson tight end Jordan Leggett’s stock is on the rise."