Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner’s rise from Cincinnati star to NFL shutdown corner has now earned him another line on a growing résumé: a spot on The Sporting News College Football All-Decade All-America Team for the 2020s.
The former Bearcats standout has already turned his college dominance into pro stardom. Drafted fourth overall by the New York Jets in 2022, Gardner wasted no time making an impact, taking home NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors that same season.
He followed that by making history as the first cornerback since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to land First-Team AP All-Pro honors in each of his first two seasons, doing it in both 2022 and 2023. Gardner also picked up back-to-back Pro Bowl selections before being traded to the Indianapolis Colts during the 2025 season in a blockbuster deal that included two first-round picks.
Through that run, he has piled up more than 200 total tackles and 50 passes defensed while remaining one of the league’s premier lockdown corners.
His Cincinnati career was just as decorated. Gardner left as a Consensus All-American, earning First-Team recognition from the Associated Press, AFCA, FWAA, and The Sporting News.
He also became the first player in Cincinnati history to be a two-time FWAA All-American. In the American Athletic Conference, he was named the Unanimous Defensive Player of the Year, becoming only the second player in league history to hit that mark.
Gardner was also a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist alongside teammate Coby Bryant, who won the award.
Gardner’s final college season in 2021 was a masterpiece in coverage. Pro Football Focus College noted that he allowed just 13 receptions for 117 yards.
On the stat sheet, he finished with 35 tackles, three sacks, three interceptions, and four pass breakups. His biggest games included a career-high eight tackles against ECU, plus interceptions against Murray State, Notre Dame, and South Florida.
He also delivered his third career defensive touchdown with a 60-yard scoop-and-score after a blocked field goal at ECU.
That season, Gardner anchored a Bearcats defense that finished first nationally in pass efficiency defense at 100.47 and ranked among the nation’s top five in passing yards allowed, interceptions, completion percentage allowed, and passing touchdowns allowed.
The 2021 Bearcats went on to make history of their own, becoming the first Group of Five team to reach the College Football Playoff. Cincinnati beat Notre Dame, won the AAC Championship, and finished 13-1 after meeting Alabama in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, ending the year at No. 4 in the country.
Gardner and the Colts are set to open the 2026 NFL regular season at home on Sunday, Sept. 13, against the Baltimore Ravens at Lucas Oil Stadium.
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Bearcats May Be Signaling Real Concern About Their Backcourt Plans
Cincinnatis offseason guard search is starting to look a little more urgent, with the Bearcats among the schools showing interest in one of the most accomplished available backcourt options on the market. The player in question has already moved through three different programs in his college career and recently received an extra year of eligibility under the NCAAs 5-in-5 rule, which only adds to the appeal for teams trying to patch together experienced depth.
The list of suitors is a lengthy one, with Arizona State, Stanford, NC State, Iowa State, USC, Utah and Oregon also in the mix, so this is hardly a Cincinnati-only pursuit. Still, the Bearcats presence in the conversation says something about how they may be viewing their guard situation right now, especially with Tylen Rileys injury creating additional uncertainty and making another addition feel more like a need than a luxury. [Read more 🡒]
Former Bearcat Sencire Harris Is Another Reminder Of This New Reality
Sencire Harris next stop is Eastern Michigan, another move in a college career that has already taken him through four programs in four years. The former Cincinnati guard, who also spent time at Illinois and West Virginia, now lands with a new Eagles staff and a roster that is being reshaped under recently hired head coach Billy Dolon.
For Cincinnati fans, Harris path is a familiar reminder of how quickly college basketball can change in the transfer era, especially for players trying to find the right fit and a stable role. At Eastern Michigan, he is expected to step into the starting lineup in the Mid-American Conference, giving him a chance to settle in while the Eagles continue building around a wave of new arrivals. [Read more 🡒]