Syracuse Signee Evaluation: Oronde Gadsden

What the Orange is getting in wide receiver Oronde Gadsden

Mike McAllister | Dec 16, 2020

Syracuse Signee Evaluation: Oronde Gadsden /

Player: Oronde Gadsden

Position: Wide Receiver

Height/Weight: 6-4, 190 lbs

School: American Heritage

Other Notable Offers: Arizona State, Baylor, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Iowa State, Kentucky, Penn State, Central Florida, West Virginia

Evaluation:

Frame: At 6-4, 190 pounds, Gadsden has a frame ready made for the college game. He is long, strong and can use his size to make plays down the field. A year in a collegiate strength and conditioning program will help add more strength and potentially bulk up to around 200 pounds, but he will be part of a Syracuse receiving group that looks more and more like Orange basketball players.

Athleticism: Gadsden comes from fantastic bloodlines with his father playing several years in the NFL, primarily with the Miami Dolphins. Gadsden runs well and is fluid in and out of his breaks.

Instincts: Gadsden plays the game with an abnormal feel and understanding. He rarely makes forgets his assignment and makes the right reads on option routes.

Polish: Gadsden has spent quite a bit of time as a blocking wide receiver at the high school level due to his team's system. His route running is crisp, has excellent hands and is more advanced as a blocker due to that experience. He has the potential to contribute early.

Bottom Line: Syracuse is doing a nice job adding size, length and playmaking ability to the wide receiver position. Gadsden fits that mold perfectly. He brings a high football IQ to the receivers room that should make everyone better.

Published Dec 16, 2020

MIKE MCALLISTER

Title: Publisher All Syracuse Education: Roberts Wesleyan College Location: Syracuse, New York Expertise: Syracuse basketball, football and recruiting. EXPERIENCE Mike McAllister has been covering Syracuse basketball, football and recruiting for more than a decade. Mike's career started with his own free blog as a way to vent following sporting events. Shortly thereafter, a network of basketball sites called Coast 2 Coast Hoops asked him to run their Syracuse site. That site was called Nation of Orange, and Mike quickly established it as a go-to for Syracuse fans. After running Nation of Orange for several months, a position with the Syracuse site on the Scout network became available. After one year as the recruiting expert with Cuse Nation, he was named the publisher. Mike oversaw the transition from Scout to 247Sports, and ran the site on that network for years. Presented with the opportunity to join one of the biggest names in the sports journalism industry, Sports Illustrated, Mike jumped at the chance. All Syracuse was started from scratch by Mike and the Fan Nation team. It has now become a staple for Orange fans of various sports. Mike has broken news on recruiting, Syracuse basketball and football team information and has established himself as the top recruiting inside in the market. He has appeared on local radio shows, television broadcasts, national radio shows and much more. Mr. McAllister has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting and Information Management from Roberts Wesleyan College.