He played college football for the Cincinnati Bearcats and was selected fourth overall by the Jets in the 2022 NFL draft.

[1] He attended Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School, where he played wide receiver and cornerback on their football team.

After the season, Gardner was the only true freshman named to the American Athletic Conference first-team.

[4][5] As a sophomore in 2020, Gardner began the season atop the depth chart as a starter.

[6] As a junior, Gardner was voted to the 2021 College Football All-America Team and named the AAC Defensive Player of the Year en route to helping Cincinnati become the first Group of Five team to reach the College Football Playoff.

[24][25] Gardner was the 3rd defensive player and only cornerback in NFL history to receive first-team All-Pro honors in each of their first two seasons in the League.