Syracuse football: Three Draft prospects rated Top-5 at their positions by ESPN’s Mel Kiper

More national recognition for these Orange stars

The Syracuse Orange have nine players who declared for the 2025 NFL Draft, and of that bunch, a third recently found themselves high up a mainstream ranking.

ESPN Analyst Mel Kiper is one of the most respected when it comes to the Draft, and he ranked a trio of Orange prospects among the Top-5 at their respective positions.

First up is Oronde Gadsden II, who comes in as the second-highest “Fullback/H-Back” on Kiper’s list. The group differs from standard Tight Ends in that those players typically line up behind the line of scrimmage.

Gadsden is behind only Miami’s Elijah Arroyo. He would be third if you loop in Penn State’s Tyler Warren, who leads the way in his category and was the only Power Conference TE with more receiving yards than O.G.’s 934.

RB LeQuint Allen is also high up on the board – he’s currently the No. 3 option, trailing only Heisman runner-up Ashton Jeanty and ACC 1st-Teamer Omarion Hampton. Allen’s physicality and pass catching ability are both traits that make him an ideal prospect as the NFL shifts further away from bell-cow backs.

Allen finished 2024 with 1,021 rushing yards and 521 receiving yards – only one of two FBS backs to eclipse 1,000/500, along with ASU’s Cam Skattebo.

QB Kyle McCord is the last player in Kiper’s Top-5, coming in at No. 5 behind Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, Miami’s Cam Ward, Ole Miss’s Jaxson Dart and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe… and just ahead of Ohio State’s Will Howard.

McCord still has a wide range of where he could be taken in the Draft, and Kiper doesn’t completely rule out him being a 1st Round selection. He does, however, have only Sanders and Ward in his full 1st Round mock.

McCord led the nation in passing yards (4,779) and completions (391) and was fifth in passing TDs (34).

The rankings are more signs of what was a tremendous season for Syracuse, who ranked No. 20 in the end-of-season AP Poll and had their coach earn Newcomer COTY honors.