The Los Angeles Chargers have struggled in the last four weeks after an undefeated start. They’ve dropped three of their previous four games and have allowed the Broncos to take advantage of the AFC West lead. But if there is a silver lining, it’s the emergence of Oronde Gadsden II as a weapon for Justin Herbert. He’s grown into an essential piece of the passing attack in Los Angeles.
Find out about Gadsden’s journey to the NFL and how he performed so far this season.
Oronde Gadsden II’s Journey to the NFL
Gadsden — the son of former NFL wide receiver Oronde Gadsden —Â was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He grew up in Florida and attended American Heritage High School in Plantation, Florida. In high school, he was a wide receiver and helped his squad capture two state championships. His high school success led him to go up north to play football for Syracuse University.
Gadsden spent four years at Syracuse. Ups and downs marked his tenure. In college, he began the transition from wide receiver to a tight end role. He didn’t play much as a freshman, with only two catches. He broke out in his sophomore season, tallying 61 catches, 969 receiving yards, and six touchdowns.
His junior year came to an abrupt end after a season-ending injury just two games in. When he returned his senior season, it was back to where he left off in his sophomore season. He racked up a career-high 73 catches, 934 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns. In total, he caught 143 passes, had 1,994 receiving yards, and 14 touchdowns, along with 12 rush yards to bring his career scrimmage yards over 2,000.
He declared for the 2025 NFL Draft after his senior season with the Orange. His collegiate performance garnered enough attention for him to be selected by the Chargers in Round 5 with the 165th pick. It took Gadsden a few weeks to get going, but he’s been announcing himself to the NFL world over the last few weeks. He got his first reception in Week 3 and hasn’t looked back.
He has seven catches in each of his last two games, and Week 7 against the Colts was his statement game. He had seven catches for 164 yards and a touchdown. Fantasy managers have kept track of Gadsden’s emergence in the Los Angeles offense, and some even started him in their leagues tonight. They’ll be happy after he continued his hot streak.
After 164 yards and a TD last week, rookie Oronde Gadsden is back in the end zone for the @Chargers!
MINvsLAC on Prime Video
Also streaming on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/RAZCq5UpeZ— NFL (@NFL) October 24, 2025
In the first twenty minutes of Thursday Night Football, Gadsden has four catches for 37 yards and a touchdown. He is now the Chargers’ main receiving tight end and will likely continue to see his target volume in the coming weeks. The Chargers will be thrilled with what they are getting out of Gadsden, and if he keeps performing, many fantasy managers will be pleased, too.
