MADE FOR THIS: Syracuse’s generational weapon took 2 years to burst onto the scene
W
ith time winding down in a packed JMA Wireless Dome, Oronde Gadsden II had a chance to put himself — and Syracuse football — at the forefront of the conversation early in college football. And he appeared to hardly break a sweat.
The Orange had 12 seconds, down four points, to go 25 yards and pick up a second nonconference win against Purdue. Quarterback Garrett Shrader, fading back to avoid the six-man blitz, never broke his gaze from Gadsden.
He initially had a one-on-one, then ran a 10-yard out route to draw off a second defender. On a corner route to the front left pylon, Gadsden shook him off with a simple move and took off, creating enough separation for Shrader to dump an off-balance pass over his right shoulder.
“He looked like he was moving in slow motion,” said Anthony Queeley, Gadsden’s former teammate. “Just because of his technique, he was able to get over him and score that touchdown.”
The final play of Syracuse’s miracle win over Purdue en route to its first 6-0 start since 1987 catapulted Gadsden into the national spotlight. It was the beginning of a First-Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference season, letting the secret out on the 6-foot-5 wide receiver positioned to be the Orange’s first first-round receiver selection since Marvin Harrison in 1996.
Gadsden’s ridden the rocketship to stardom with the same quiet grace that he entered SU with. He was marked by 247Sports as the 184th-ranked wide receiver out of Florida. He helped American Heritage (Florida) finish 10-2 and make the third round of 3A state playoffs, earning offers from 10 Power Five schools before landing at Syracuse.
“I couldn’t believe he was a freshman. He looked so poised and ready to go,” former Syracuse receiver Ethan Fischler said.
Fischler thought Gadsden was a transfer the first time he saw him at practice and wasn’t surprised that his father had played with the Miami Dolphins. Playing under former NFL cornerback Patrick Surtain in high school allowed him to seamlessly transition from his father’s rigorous approach to football and the speed expected of college athletes.
Former Syracuse receivers’ coach Lanear Sampson was introduced to Gadsden when he was a junior. Then an offensive quality control coach for Central Florida, Sampson began scouting a big receiver with the makings of a top offensive weapon. His biggest knock on Gadsden was his lack of speed, something an up-tempo offense like the Knights, and eventually the Orange, wouldn’t usually utilize. But Sampson was tantilized by his ability to “fit the big receiver mold.”
“We knew he had a lot of upside and he had a lot of talent just talking to the kid,” Sampson said. “He’s a big receiver that can go up and get the ball. He’s a smart guy … he had that pedigree as well.”
Arlo Stone | Digital Design Director
Sampson, who was hired as the receiver’s coach that spring, said Gadsden was in shape for summer workouts. He frequently sped off to the front of the pack during drills, keeping up with some of the more seasoned Syracuse players. “It was great seeing a kid that had a 22-year old mindset,” Sampson said of Gadsden as a freshman.
Buried on the Orange’s depth chart, it took Gadsden a year of grinding through special teams units to leap onto the scene. Former SU receiver Devaughn Cooper said Gadsden meticulously reviewed film and frequently stayed late with the quarterbacks to run routes he messed up on during practice.
“He was mature. With some freshmen that come in, they’re not as mature yet. They don’t know what it takes to get to that level that they want to be at,” Queeley said. “Oronde, having his dad that was in the league, being around people that’s been in the league, he’s already got that mindset and that maturity level to be a pro.”
Sampson said Gadsden quickly perfected his ball skills and had “sure hands,” earning him a second-string receiver role and turning him into a viable option in the red zone. Then, before Syracuse’s Week 6 matchup against Wake Forest, he suffered an injury, sidelining him for a month.
Coaches kept him close to the team while he was out, hoping to keep him ready for when he was healthy. Gadsden used that time to put on more weight and strengthen himself, a formula that continued into the offseason.
Though he was recruited as a wide receiver, Gadsden moved to the tight end room in 2022, placing him directly under the watch of incoming offensive coordinator Robert Anae. Gadsden, now up 26 pounds from his freshman year, had the size to physically control his routes like he did in high school.
A typical Syracuse receiver under head coach Dino Babers fits the mold of a faster, smaller recruit that Babers and the offensive staff feel they can morph into a top-end talent. “Oronde was big,” Fischler said, and allowed the Orange to open up their offense when he maintained a quick speed despite being heavier.
Before last season, Gadsden spent all offseason cleaning up his game. Sampson, who left to become Austin Peay’s pass-game coordinator and wide receivers coach in June 2022, spent the spring session of workouts with Gadsden and said he was primed to be a key contributor.
When Babers brought in Anae, Gadsden began working as a gadget receiver. “I’m whatever Syracuse needs me to be,” Gadsden said last season. He began working inside more, set in motion from the outside and finding himself on routes over the middle.
The marriage between Anae’s dynamic offense and Gadsden’s ability as both a tight end and outside receiver meshed into 969 receiving yards and six touchdowns. His breakout year included two multi-touchdown performances and four games with at least 100 receiving yards.
“It was no surprise to me, especially when coach Anae got there,” Sampson said. “That flex slot position that Oronde plays now, I knew that he was going to have a big year. He fits that mold very well. He’s not a robot. Being in the middle of the field helped his game so much more.”
The offseason was a whirlwind. Gadsden was thrust into the spotlight of preseason awards, while being discussed as a first-rounder by NFL draft experts. Name, image and likeness deals began flowing his way from other Power 5 schools, enticing him to leave for a more successful program. He told syracuse.com that “promising six figures and up” in payments if he transferred were on the table. He turned them all down, stating he wanted to finish his career in Central New York.
Once last season ended, Babers said he and Gadsden worked on how to handle double-team matchups moving forward. The biggest thing the Orange need to do with Gadsden, Babers said, is to teach him multiple positions. “We can’t line him up at one position and we won’t,” Babers noted.
Offensive coordinator Jason Beck, the coaching brainchild of Anae, took over the offense last year and will plan to use Gadsden as a fluid tool who can open up other receivers when he’s not exploiting defenders himself. Syracuse, for the first time in a generation, has a clear No. 1, NFL-ready talent.
“It wouldn’t surprise me (if he’s a top 10 pick). He’s that type of player,” Sampson said.
Photo courtesy of SU Athletics