Get to Know Your Orange Man: #19, TE/WR Oronde Gadsden II

It’s time to start preparing for the upcoming Syracuse It’s time to start preparing for the upcoming Syracuse Orange football season. We’re going through the roster to take a look at each Syracuse player as we get ready for a critical season for the Orange.

Up next is….

Name: Oronde Gadsden II

Position: Tight End / Wide Receiver

Year: Junior

Height: 6’5”

Weight: 216 lbs.

Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, FL

High School: American Heritage

2022 stats: Gadsden was the unexpected savior of the Orange offense last season. O.G. racked up 61 catches for 969 yards and six touchdowns, securing the most receiving yards by any tight end in the country and the 7th most by anyone in SU single-season history. He also earned first team All-ACC honors from both the conference and the Associated Press.

2023 projections: Gadsden looks to maintain form as one of the best receiving prospects in the country, as he will be eligible for the NFL Draft after this season. There’s no reason why he shouldn’t remain Garrett Shrader’s favorite target. So long as he remains healthy, a thousand-yard season is a real possibility.

How’d he get here?: Gadsden had a huge list of offers, including Arizona State, Baylor, Boston College, UConn, Indiana, Kentucky, Penn State, UCF, and West Virginia.

What’d recruiting sites say?: Three stars

Money quote: [In Christian Bale Batman voice] “I’m whatever Syracuse needs me to be.”

“I wouldn’t say I’m officially anything. I’m just going to do what I need to do to help the team... I try to lead by example.”

Twitter feed: @Orondegii

Instagram feed: @orondegii

Post of wonder: Doing just as well off the field

Interesting nugget o’interest: Oronde is like his father in more than just name. The elder Gadsden spent six seasons with the Miami Dolphins. His final stats: 227 catches for over 3,200 yards and 22 touchdowns - including the last ever thrown by Dan Marino.

Let’s get a look at ya: Regular season highlights courtesy of ACCN