Western Kentucky tight end details Syracuse commitment: 'Prepare to win'

Western Kentucky transfer Noah Meyers wants to be next in line of impact Syracuse tight ends.

Western Kentucky's Noah Meyers attempts to make a catch as Jacksonville State's Travis Franklin Jr. defends during the C-USA Championship at AmFirst Stadium in Jacksonville, Alabama , Alabama December 6, 2024. (Dave Hyatt / Hyatt Media LLC) | Dave Hyatt / Special to the Gadsden Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Since Syracuse head coach Fran Brown arrived on campus, he has made the tight end position a priority.

In the 2024 season, Oronde Gadsden II was an AP All-American and a First Team All-ACC performer after finishing the season with 73 catches for 934 yards and seven touchdowns.

That was followed by a solid season from Dan Villari, who caught 39 passes for 412 yards in 2025 despite SU’s struggles at the quarterback position after starter Steve Angeli went down with a season-ending injury in September.

Meyers talks SU commitment

The Orange have identified their next impact tight end in Western Kentucky transfer Noah Meyers. Meyers committed to the Orange last week and will have two years of eligibility remaining. As a prospect in the 2026 transfer portal, 247 Sports rates him as a three-star recruit.

He cited Brown as one of the primary reasons for his pledge to SU.

"Coach Brown means business,” Meyers said to The Juice Online. "Couldn’t ask to play for a better coach. He brings a mentality that will make anyone better.”

Meyers was on the 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl 1000 Watchlist and was named to the Phil Steele Preseason Conference USA All-Conference Fourth Team.

Meyers finished with 32 receptions for 357 yards and three scores across 11 starts. He selected Western Kentucky over offers from Dartmouth and Eastern Kentucky in the 2023 cycle out of Louisville (KY) Trinity High.

Syracuse relies on its tight ends

He was also considering NC State before selecting the Orange, but Syracuse sold him on how they used both Gadsden and Villari as featured parts of their offense.

"Proof is in the pudding,” Meyers said. "They’ve continued to produce elite tight ends. My goal is to follow in their footsteps and be the next one.”

Syracuse will be relying on Meyers to be a part of its turnaround in the 2026 season. They are coming off a 3-9 year where the Orange offense went quiet after Angeli’s injury. However, Brown went immediately to work in the offseason, signing the top recruiting class in Syracuse history and retooling his coaching staff.

He also addressed depth at quarterback, adding three new signal-callers to the room. All of that has Meyers very confident that the results for the Orange will be very different this fall.

"Syracuse football is gonna be back,” Meyers said. "Prepare to win."

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