Syracuse Football 2025 Preview: A group effort to replace Oronde Gadsden at tight end

Similar to the running back position, where LeQuint Allen leaves huge shoes to fill, the departure of Oronde Gadsden leaves a giant vacancy for the Syracuse football team at tight end. Head coach Fran Brown has already made it clear that the Orange won’t be replacing Gadsden with a single player. It’ll be a group effort for Syracuse at tight end in 2025, so let’s take a deep dive into who will be part of that group.

The starter

Someone has to be in the starting lineup at tight end for Syracuse this season, and fifth-year senior Dan Villari is the most likely option. Villari has had quite a football journey after beginning his career as a backup quarterback at Michigan. After transferring to Syracuse, he made the switch to tight end. In 2023, Villari became a cult hero among Orange fans, playing as a tight end, quarterback, and running back. He was essentially the quarterback during Syracuse’s memorable win over Pitt at Yankee Stadium that year.

Alas, Villari had a somewhat limited role as a full-time tight end in 2024. Playing behind Gadsden all season, Villari had just six catches for 57 yards, while also running the ball 12 times for 29 yards and a touchdown. There also may have been one or two disappointing drops from him as well. However, he did contribute as a blocker in multiple tight end formations and had 20 catches, including three touchdowns in 2023. While he’s far from a like-for-like replacement for Gadsden, Villari should be a regular contributor this season.

The backups

The most exciting tight end on the roster is probably Jamie Tremble. It wouldn’t be a stretch to think of Villari and Tremble as co-starters at tight end, because both are likely to play a lot of snaps this season. A four-star recruit coming out of high school, Tremble played in 12 games last season, albeit sparingly. He fits the mold of a pass-catching tight end more than Villari, which is why the two should end up sharing the playing time and could complement each other well. Eventually, the hope is that Tremble can put up the type of receiving numbers that Gadsden did last season, although whether Tremble is ready to do that in 2025 remains to be seen.

David Clement, who attended Christian Brothers Academy in Albany, is another backup tight end worth watching this season. He’s been used mostly as an extra blocker over the past two seasons. If Clement can develop some pass-catching skills, there could be a larger role for him this season.

One final player among the backups at tight end is Chase Simmons. The fifth-year senior has spent his Syracuse career as a rotational player along the defensive line, but has been moved to tight end for the upcoming season. Simmons likely would have played regular snaps on the Syracuse defense this season, so the coaching staff must believe he has the tools to contribute at tight end. Of course, we might have to wait until the season starts to know how Simmons will be used at his new position.

The rest

Assuming Simmons is part of the rotation, there might not be a lot of snaps available for more than four tight ends. Nevertheless, there are a few notable tight ends on the roster who could be called upon if there are injuries or if they prove capable of contributing this year. A lot of eyes will be on true freshmen Daunte Bacheyie and Wyatt Bowman. Bacheyie is from Sylvan Beach and attended Christian Brothers Academy in Syracuse. Bowman, meanwhile, was a top lacrosse recruit and will play both sports for the Orange.

Of course, redshirt freshman Elijah Washington-Baker could be more likely to see the field this season than either true freshman. The Virginia native also played baseball and was an all-state basketball player in high school. At 6’7’’, 245 pounds, Washington-Baker could be used as an extra blocker or a possible red-zone target after playing primarily on special teams last year, although he preserved his redshirt by appearing in just four games.

The skinny

It’s almost impossible to envision Syracuse replacing the productivity of Gadsden or the attention he got from opposing defenses that helped open up opportunities for others. Whether the Orange comes close will be based on Villari’s ability to have a bounce-back season and the development of Tremble. If those two perform at a high level, Syracuse will be fine at tight end, even if the overall production takes a step back.

Meanwhile, Syracuse does have a few younger tight ends in the pipeline who might find a way to contribute. Simmons, of course, is a wild card at his new position. But the likes of Clement and Washington-Baker could get themselves on the field and give the Orange extra blockers in certain situations. In that sense, there could be at least a handful of tight ends who end up making an impact for Syracuse in 2025.