After six grueling football-less months, teams are starting to ramp up with the regular season just around the corner. NFL Training camp drill highlight videos have flooded social media pages, and Syracuse football began their fall camp earlier this week. Just five weeks from today, fans will be able to enjoy regular season action from both college football and the NFL. However, NFL preseason games can bridge that gap; the 4.63 million preseason viewers in 2024 dominated July and August tv ratings. The Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, the final event of the NFL’s enshrinement ceremony, acts as the preseason’s “Week 0” game. For Syracuse fans tuning into the Lions/Chargers primetime game, they will have an opportunity to cheer on three former Orangemen:
TE Oronde Gadsden II, Los Angeles Chargers
Gadsden was selected by the Chargers in the fifth round, 165th overall. The Chargers are led by second-year head coach Jim Harbaugh, who returned to the NFL after his championship season with Michigan, a coach known for a tight end heavy offensive scheme. Harbaugh coached five NFL draft pick tight ends during his time with the Wolverines; social media began to call Michigan “Tight End University” because of their success at the position, including 2025 Chicago Bears first round pick Colston Loveland. Draft analysts raved about the schematic fit, especially with Harbaugh’s usage of the three-tight-end-set last year. Gadsden’s 6-foot-5-inch frame gives him the positional flexibility to be used as a contributor in run blocking in addition to his work as a pass catcher. His time with the Orange (Spanning over both Dino Babers and Fran Brown) has prepared him to be the multi faceted “Unicorn” tight end that coaches fall in love with: Run blocking, pass catching, and crisp route running from both the more traditional hand-in-the-dirt tight end spot and a receiver position. Gadsden currently sits on the depth chart as the Chargers’ third tight end behind Will Dissly and Tyler Conklin.
LB Marlowe Wax, Los Angeles Chargers
While Wax didn’t hear his name called in the NFL Draft, he quickly signed later with the Chargers as an undrafted free agent. His flexibility as both a middle linebacker and inside linebacker is already serving him well through two weeks of training camp; Wax is currently listed as the fourth inside linebacker, but any injury or transaction changes to the middle linebacker room could further solidify his spot on the 53-man roster. As an undrafted free agent, Wax will have to fight through day 3 draft picks as well as players the Chargers have given camp invites to in order to earn a roster spot. Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh has already told the media that starters will not play tonight, creating extra time for Wax to display his skills for the coaching staff. One could assume that the second half would primarily be reserved for fringe roster players. Wax has the benefit of being signed by a team that plays in the Hall of Fame Game, getting four preseason games compared to the rest of the NFL’s three.
WR Jackson Meeks, Detroit Lions
Meeks was signed by the Lions as an undrafted free agent, currently as one of 11 wide receivers on the depth chart. Teams usually cut the receiver room down to four or five, so Meeks will have to make the most of the early practices and preseason games to stand out. After transferring from Georgia, Meeks had a career year as a senior with the Orange. He crossed the 1000 yard receiving mark and caught seven touchdowns from co-transfer Kyle McCord. Meeks was always a big-play threat for Syracuse: While Fran Brown had options such as now-Jaguars running back Lequint Allen and Darrell Gill in the short and medium game, Meeks would put pressure on opposing defensive coordinators to keep at least one safety deep. Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell ruled out the first team offense playing, so Meeks will have an opportunity to gain valuable reps early in the game. Meeks will play with either former Heisman candidate or long-ball launcher Hendon Hooker and veteran game manager Kyle Allen. Even though there are many receivers for Detroit trying out for the same spot, Syracuse fans should feel optimistic with Meeks’ chances on the 53-man roster; star wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and Tim Patrick are known for their inside work between the margins, indicating that new Lions’ offensive coordinator John Morton might be looking for a deep threat.
Tonight’s Hall of Fame Game starts at 8:00 p.m. eastern time, with Syracuse alum and broadcasting legend Mike Tirico doing play-by-play on NBC. Check back on the Orange Fizz Twitter/X account (@OrangeFizz) for a recap of their performance.
