A Harlem-raised edge rusher who found his best form at Vanderbilt after starting his college career at Purdue, landing one of the biggest undrafted bonuses in Cleveland's rookie class.
Khordae Sydnor spent three seasons at Purdue before transferring to Vanderbilt, where he became a full-time starter and closed his college career with a career-best sack total. He went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft but signed with the Browns for the second-largest signing bonus among Cleveland's undrafted rookies.
Path to the league
Sydnor is from Harlem, New York, and attended Iona Prep School before signing with Purdue, where he played from 2021 to 2023. He transferred to Vanderbilt for his final two seasons, becoming a full-time starter in the Commodores' defensive front. He went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft and signed with the Cleveland Browns as a free agent on May 8, 2026, receiving the second-largest signing bonus of the team's undrafted rookie class at $275,000.
Career highlights
Across 50 career college games with 25 starts at Purdue and Vanderbilt, Sydnor totaled 71 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, 14 sacks and five passes defensed. His production peaked in his final season, when he started all 13 games for Vanderbilt.
2025 season recap
In his last season at Vanderbilt, Sydnor started all 13 games and posted career highs of 30 tackles and 8.5 sacks, by far his most productive year as a pass rusher. That breakout helped him land an undrafted deal with the Browns, who backed it with a notable signing bonus relative to the rest of Cleveland's 2026 rookie free agent class.
Sources
- ESPN: Khordae Sydnor player page
- PFF: Khordae Sydnor player page
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Defensive End
- Group
- defense
- College
- Vanderbilt
- Hometown
- Harlem, NY, USA
- Age
- 22
- Status
- active
