Well, it’s official. After four seasons with the Orange, the OG era is over. Yesterday, Oronde Gadsden II officially announced he’s declaring for the NFL draft. It was a move widely speculated after another dominant season from the tight end.
Gadsden finished the year with over 900 yards receiving, putting a bow on top of a stellar career with the Orange. This year alone, he was second in the nation among tight ends for receiving.
So what legacy will OG leave behind in the 315? For starters, he’s likely to join the ever-expanding list of SU alums making a name for themself in the NFL. A quick search on social media will show that people who know football quite well think Gadsden’s skills will translate to Sundays.
His stats will also likely stay near or at the top of SU tight end record boards for quite some time. He helped redefine the TE position, playing at times as a slot receiver while retaining his tight end title.
But most importantly, Gadsden has embodied the current Syracuse turnaround, much like his fellow likely-NFL bound teammates Marlowe Wax and Justin Barron. Gadsden came to SU as a wide receiver, but switched as a sophomore to TE. He was a star under a Dino Babers team that started 6-0 in 2022. But then things started to go downhill, and an injury put Gadsden out for most of last year.
Fresh off an injury with a new head coach, it would have been easy for OG to leave. But instead he stayed the course, kept his draft stock steady despite a much more diverse offense and finally got a 10-win season.
While his time in orange and blue may be over, Gadsden certainly put together a collegiate career that won’t be forgotten any time soon.
