Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, the defensive star of the Bearcats’ run to the College Football Playoff, is leaving school early to declare for the NFL draft, he told Yahoo Sports in a phone interview.
Gardner projects as a first-round draft pick with the strong potential to end up in the top 15, according to NFL scouts. His productive junior year thrust him into the conversation among the top corners in the 2022 class.
Gardner, who is 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, earned consensus first-team All-American honors this season. In more than 1,000 career snaps in coverage, Gardner never gave up a touchdown, according to Pro Football Focus statistics.