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Ahmad Gardner, CB, Cincinnati Bearcats

• 6-3, 200
• 40 Time: N/A
• Nickname: “Sauce”
• Detroit, Mich. (Martin Luther King)
• School Profile
• Twitter: @iamsaucegardner

Overview

Gardner played more than 1,000 career snaps between 2019-21 without being charged with surrendering a touchdown in coverage, per Pro Football Focus. He finished his career with nine interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns.

Gardner was a consensus All-American in 2021, helping Cincinnati reach the College Football Playoffs, and declared for the 2022 NFL Draft on Jan. 4.

Cincinnati Bearcats cornerback Ahmad Gardner announced Tuesday he is declaring for the 2022 NFL Draft.

It’s been a pleasure… Uno Out??? pic.twitter.com/5iAjzkG7bQ

— SAUCE (@iamSauceGardner) January 4, 2022

Gardner is seeking to become the first Cincinnati player picked in the opening round since defensive lineman Bob Bell in 1971 (Detroit Lions, 21st overall).

Career Notes

• Consensus All-American, earning First Team honors from the Associated Press, AFCA, FWAA and Sporting News.
• Unanimous AAC Defensive Player of the Year, the second-such honor in league history.
• Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist behind winner and teammate Coby Bryant.
• Also first UC player to earn FWAA All- America honors twice.
• Has not given up a touchdown out of his 1,000-plus career coverage snaps with only 13 catches for 117 yards allowed this season (according to PFF College).

2021 Season

• Produced 35 tackles with three interceptions, three sacks and four breakups.
• Had career-high eight tackles against ECU…Picked off passes against Murray State, Notre Dame (opening drive) and South Florida
• Third-career touchdown came on a scoop-and-score, 60-yard blocked field goal return at ECU in regular- season finale (others were pick-sixes against UCF and ECU in 2019).
• Had sacks against Tulsa, South Florida and Houston, the latter two for a combined 20 yards (had 0.5 combined over previous two years).
• Leader of defense that ranks No. 1 nationally in pass efficiency allowed (100.47), fourth in opponent completions (53.5 percent), third in interceptions (18), fifth in TD passes allowed (10) and No. 3 in passing yards allowed (168.3).

2020 Season

• Earned recognition on five All-America teams following the 2020 campaign, including first-team honors from the Football Writers Association of America and USA Today along with second-team accolades from the American Football Coaches Association, Associated Press and the Athletic.
• The First-Team All-AAC selection tied for second in the AAC’s with nine passes defended and tied for fourth with three interceptions in the regular season.
• In nine starts, he added 28 tackles and shared a sack. According to ProFootballFocus.com, Gardner allowed the third-lowest passer rating in the FBS in coverage in 2020, making more plays on the ball than first downs allowed.
• UC featured an elite defense which ranked in the NCAA’s Top-15 in five categories, including tied for No. 3 in both interceptions (16) and No. 3 in team passing efficiency defense (101.26).
• The Bearcats have forced a turnover in 20-straight games, the longest active streak in the NCAA FBS, totaling AAC highs with 55 passes defended and 16 interceptions.
• Named to the watch lists for the Bednarik Award and Jim Thorpe Award

2019 Season

• Breakout freshman campaign saw him earn a spot on the 2019 Football Writers Association of America-Shaun Alexander Freshman All-America Team presented by Stand Together
• A First-Team All-American Athletic Conference selection, Gardner was also tabbed by Pro Football Focus as a third-team All-America selection and an All-Freshman team honoree while The Athletic named him to their Freshman All-America team
• Erupted onto the scene in a huge way in a 27-24 upset win over UCF with a game-changing 16-yard interception return for a TD which gave UC a lead it would not relinquish at Nippert Stadium. Gardner added a second pick-6 at ECU, becoming the fifth UC player all time to have a pair of interception returns for a TD in the same season and first since UC corners coach Mike Mickens in 2007
  Played in all 13 games and moved into the starting lineup against UConn and started the final six contests of the season
• Finished the campaign with 31 tackles and 11 passes defended. According to PFF College, Gardner was one of the most frequently targeted DBs in 2019, ranking No. 15 in snaps/target
• Finished as PFF College’s No. 6 overall cornerback and No. 7 with a 90.0 coverage grade, allowing no touchdowns and only a 39.4 passer rating against him
• Named UC’s departmental Newcomer of the Year
• named to the 2019 AAC All-Academic Team.

Prior to UC

• Consensus three-star prospect according to 247Sports.com, ESPN.com and Rivals.com
• 247 ranks him as one the Top-30 players from Michigan in the 2019 class
• long and rangy corner and wide receiver helped lead the Crusaders to a Division 3 State Championship in 2018, hauling in a pair of TD receptions in a 41-25 win over Muskegon
• hauled in four passes for 126 yards and TDs of 37 and 75 yards in a 54-15 win over Allen Park in the Division 3 Region 4 final
• was an Associated Press First-Team All-State selection at defensive back
• named First-Team All-State and earned a spot All-Detroit Football Team at defensive back from the Detroit News
• Burney’s Bytes tabbed him as one of the Top-20 Detroit Public School League players in 2018
• coached by Tyrone Spencer

Personal

• son of Alisa Gardner
• brother Allante played at Saginaw Valley State and Lakeland.

–Field Level Media (@FieldLevelMedia)