Per GoBearcats:
Cincinnati senior linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. was named a Midseason First Team All-American on Tuesday by The Athletic.
The senior leads the nation in tackles for loss per game (2.25), ranks third in sacks per game (1.0) and No. 10 in tackles per game (10.5), while leading the Bearcats to a 5-1 record and a No. 21 ranking in the Associated Press poll.
He is the nation’s highest-graded defender (92.6) by Pro Football Focus College.
A native of the Queen City and a former Colerain High School star, he has team-leading totals of 62 tackles and 12.5 TFLs to go along with a forced fumble.
He collected Bednarik National Player of the Week and AAC Defensive Player of the Week honors following a 15-tackle, 4.5 TFL, 2.5 sack, three QB hurry performance against Indiana during Week 4.
The former Miami (Ohio) Redhawk ranked 10th nationally with 125 stops in 2021 and tied an NCAA record with six sacks against Akron in 2019.
Pace Jr. and the Bearcats travel to Dallas, Texas to face the Mustangs of SMU on Saturday at 12 p.m. (ESPN). UC will look to tie the AAC record with its 19th consecutive conference win.
