The 2024 college football season has officially come and gone. Congrats to Kyle McCord’s alma mater Ohio State on taking home the national title, but now it’s time for everyone’s favorite part of the year. ESPN’s Mel Kiper released his first big board of 2025, and there is a plethora of Syracuse talent on it. Let’s dive into it.
Kyle McCord – QB5
To no surprise, Kyle McCord has generated a lot of buzz as an NFL quarterback talent. I know we all were hoping the NCAA would bless us with another year of college eligibility, but that felt like a pipe dream. Now that it’s official, Kiper has McCord slotted in as the fifth-best quarterback in the draft class. Funny enough, McCord is one spot above his replacement, Ohio State’s Will Howard. Some risers like Jaxson Dart and Jalen Milroe come in just ahead of McCord, but there have been some rumblings about a team thinking about taking Kyle in the late first round as a project QB. I mean hey, if Michael Penix Jr. could go 8th overall, McCord in the first is not out of the question with a lot of quarterback-needy teams. Just look at those stats, hopefully we continue to watch him every week at the next level?
LeQuint Allen – RB3
In a loaded running back class, it’s very exciting to see Allen get love as a top option. LeQuint places as the third best in the draft, behind Heisman runner-up Ashton Jeanty and UNC’s Omarion Hampton. Surprisingly, Allen gets the nod over Tennessee’s Dylan Sampson and Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins, who just had a really good college football playoff. Based on this assessment, Allen is considered by Kiper as the best receiving back in the draft. Can we give him a Christian McCaffrey comparison? That’s probably a stretch, but Allen will make whatever team that drafts him very happy with his motor and work ethic on and off the field.
Oronde Gadsden – FB/H-Back2
This is a… strange way to place OG on a big board. I’m assuming because of his size and ability to play both receiver and tight end at the next level, Kiper placed Gadsden as his second-best fullback/H-back in the country. The only player ahead of Gadsden is Miami’s Elijah Arroyo, who only had 590 receiving yards compared to Oronde’s 934. I’m not too sure how to grade this one, but Oronde Gadsden is a strong option down the field for any NFL team, just like his dad.
We’re still almost three months away from players taking the stage, but it’s always interesting to look at. Seeing three Syracuse players get their names called would only be a plus for what was already a huge success of a year one for Fran Brown.
