Ahmad Gardner, Darrian Beavers Detail Their Development Prior to Cotton Bowl

The pair is leaving UC much different players than the ones that arrived on Day One.

CINCINNATI — Cornerback Ahmad Gardner and linebacker Darrian Beavers are walking proof of how effectively UC football develops talent. The pair discussed their journeys from high school to playing in the College Football Playoff.

UC scheduled Gardner to redshirt his freshman year, but he outworked those plans.

“I surprised everyone,” Gardner said. “I didn't think I was going to be able to just get on the field like that because I was so small. I think they had plans to redshirt me, but I didn't know. I just used to be out there just playing, just listening to the older guys. I came in; I didn't do too much talking; I just listened to the older guys, and they helped me get on the field. The corner group started trusting me so that just helped the coaches believe in me.”

The third consensus All-American in program history has gone from a 160-pound freshman, to a near 200-pound top NFL prospect. Gardner will need to be in the best condition of his life to slow down WR Jameson Williams, who is averaging over 20 yards per catch in a season where Gardner hasn't allowed over 13 yards in a single game.

“It took a lot of dedication by me because I always just like eating junk food, Wendy's 24/7,” Gardner said. “I spend so much money on Wendy's; it don't make no sense. I feel like I'm able to play faster even though I put weight on. I feel like I've gotten bigger, faster, and stronger, which is good, and it helped my technique at the line of scrimmage and down the field.”

Beavers grew up in Cincinnati and attended Colerain High School before starting his college career at UConn. The high school safety played one season for the Huskies before transferring back home and living in the weight room.

“I went to UConn, and the weight room wasn’t the weight room like it was here,” Beavers said during his media availability. “I gained maybe 20 pounds from eating a lot and stuff like that. When I got here, that’s when I saw my body really transform. I give all my development to [strength coach] Brady Collins. You can see all the stories, Ahmad, Myjai [Sanders], and all the guys that come here that might be undersized and they blossom up and become really good football players. Development here, at Cincinnati, makes this program the way it is.”

Gardner is projected as the Bearcats' only first-round pick since 1971, while Beavers is a fringe NFL Draft prospect who can boost his résumé by playing two more games against elite competition. He is also headed to the 2022 Senior Bowl to show off his skills for NFL scouts.

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