Syracuse fans got a quiet weekend from their own team, but one former Orange pass-catcher is suddenly drawing plenty of attention on the NFL side.
Oronde Gadsden II has become a popular add for fantasy football managers this week, with Yahoo! Sports reporting that more than 5,000 managers picked him up.
That number was expected to keep climbing before the 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff, and while fantasy movement only tells part of the story, it does point to growing belief in what Gadsden could do next.
The timing makes sense. The Los Angeles Chargers are expected to be without multiple offensive starters in Week 3 after injuries hit in a Week 2 loss.
Tight end David Njoku and Charlie Kolar both went down, while Ladd McConkey has also been limited by a rib injury. With that kind of uncertainty around the passing game, fantasy players are looking toward Gadsden for an increased role.
He has done enough through two games to justify the buzz. Gadsden has four catches for 50 yards and a touchdown so far this season as the Chargers search for their first win.
Los Angeles enters Sunday at 0-2 and will face the Buffalo Bills, who are 2-0. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m.
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For Syracuse followers, Gadsden’s rise has been easy to track. The Florida native came to Syracuse as a three-star prospect in 2020, signing with then-head coach Dino Babers. His best college season came in 2024, when he became a Third-Team All-American and a First-Team All-ACC selection after posting 73 catches for 934 yards and seven touchdowns for the double-digit win Orange.
That breakout helped set up his next step. The Chargers took Gadsden in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and he made a strong early impression in his rookie year. In 2025, he finished with 49 catches for 664 yards and three touchdowns, with all three totals ranking among the top five for rookie NFL tight ends.
Gadsden’s path to the league came with plenty of NFL ties already built in. His father, Oronde Gadsen Sr, played six seasons for the Miami Dolphins, and his high school coach, Patrick Surtain Sr, spent 10 years in the NFL with the Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs. At American Heritage High School, Gadsden lined up alongside Patrick Surtain Jr, Marvin Jones Jr, Dallas Turner, Nesta Jade Silvera, Mike Morris and James Williams.
While Syracuse had the week off, another former Orange player was the one getting attention heading into Sunday.
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Syracuse Just Put Itself In Position For An Early QB Recruiting Win
Syracuse is trying to get ahead of the curve in the quarterback market, and its first offer in this cycle went to Philadelphia Belmont Charter signal-caller Nafis Watkins after he visited for Franchise Camp. The Orange gave Watkins a reason to remember the stop, and the young passer came away appreciative of the coaching staff and the program as he continues to build his profile.
Watkins already has the kind of early experience that tends to grab attention, having started as a freshman for a Belmont Charter team that finished 10-2 in 2025. For Syracuse, the pitch is simple: identify talent early, make the relationship count, and see whether the Orange can turn a camp visit into a head start in the recruiting race. [Read more 🡒]