Per GoBearcats:
University of Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad Gardner (Detroit, Michigan/Martin Luther King) was named a First-Team All-America selection by USA Today and a Second-Team All-America honoree by The Athletic.
Gardner, a sophomore, was a First-Team All-American Athletic Conference choice for the second-straight year. He earned freshman All-America accolades from the Football Writers Association of America, Pro Football Focus and The Athletic in 2019.
He is part of a UC defense which ranks in the NCAA’s Top-15 in five categories, including No. 2 in both interceptions (15) and team passing efficiency defense and rank tied for No. 7 in scoring defense (16.0) and No. 10 in total defense (314.4).
The Bearcats have forced a turnover in 19-straight games, the longest active streak in the NCAA FBS, totaling AAC highs with 53 passes defended and 15 interceptions.
Gardner is tied for second in the AAC’s with nine passes defended and tied for fourth with three interceptions. In nine starts this season, he added 28 tackles and shared a sack.
According to ProFootballFocus.com, Gardner has allowed the third-lowest passer rating in the FBS in coverage in 2020, making more plays on the ball than first downs allowed.
UC (9-0) won American Athletic Conference Championship, their first outright league crown since 2009. Cincinnati was No. 8 in the final College Football Playoff rankings and will play in its first New Year’s Six game and its first New Year’s Day bowl since the 2009 season when the Bearcats battle No. 9 Georgia at Mercedes Benz Stadium in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. Kickoff is scheduled at noon ET and the game will air on ESPN and 700 WLW AM.
