Ivan Pace Jr.
{{Short description|American football player (born 2000)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Ivan Pace Jr.
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| current_team = Minnesota Vikings
| number = 0
| position = Linebacker
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2000|12|16}}
| birth_place = Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 10
| weight_lb = 231
| high_school = Colerain
(Cincinnati, Ohio)
| college = Miami (OH) (2019–2021)
Cincinnati (2022)
| undraftedyear = 2023
| pastteams =
- Minnesota Vikings ({{NFL Year|2023}}–present)
| status = Active
| highlights =
- PFWA All-Rookie Team (2023)
- Unanimous All-American (2022)
- AAC Defensive Player of the Year (2022)
- First-team All-AAC (2022)
- First-team All-MAC (2021)
| statseason = 2024
| statweek =
| statlabel1 = Total tackles
| statvalue1 = 174
| statlabel2 = Sacks
| statvalue2 = 5.5
| statlabel3 = Forced fumbles
| statvalue3 = 1
| statlabel4 = Fumble recoveries
| statvalue4 = 2
| statlabel5 = Pass deflections
| statvalue5 = 3
| statlabel6 = Interceptions
| statvalue6 = 2
| statlabel7 = Interception yards
| statvalue7 =
| statlabel8 = Defensive touchdowns
| statvalue8 = 1
| pfr = PaceIv00
}}
Ivan Pace Jr. (born December 16, 2000) is an American professional football linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Miami RedHawks before transferring to the Cincinnati Bearcats in 2022, where he was named a unanimous All-American and the AAC Defensive Player of the Year.
Early years
Pace Jr. attended Colerain High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. He played linebacker and fullback in high school. He committed to Miami University to play college football.{{Cite web |last=Springer |first=Scott |date=April 30, 2019 |title=Colerain football brothers on pace to becoming college rivals at UC, Miami University |url=https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/high-school/ohio-high-school/2019/04/30/colerain-football-brothers-pace-opposing-sidelines-college/3620958002/ |access-date=December 3, 2023 |website=The Enquirer |language=en-US}}
College career
= Miami (OH) =
Pace Jr. played in 13 games his true freshman year at linebacker and edge at Miami in 2019, recording 19 tackles and seven sacks. Six of those sacks came against Akron, which tied the NCAA record for most sacks in a game.{{Cite web |last=Dyer |first=Mike |date=November 21, 2019 |title=Miami University freshman LB Ivan Pace Jr. tied an NCAA single-game record with six sacks |url=https://www.wcpo.com/sports/high-school-sports/miami-university-freshman-lb-ivan-pace-jr-tied-an-ncaa-single-game-record-with-six-sacks |access-date=December 3, 2023 |website=WCPO 9 Cincinnati |language=en}} In 2020, he started all three games in the COVID-19 pandemic shortened season and had 26 tackles. In 2021, he had 125 tackles, four sacks and an interception.
= Cincinnati =
Pace Jr. transferred to the University of Cincinnati after the 2021 season.{{Cite web |last=Dyer |first=Mike |date=January 4, 2022 |title=Former Miami standout headed to UC |url=https://www.daytondailynews.com/sports/former-miami-standout-headed-to-uc/MCS6QJYJSVA6BBPG73ZFZ6GHVQ/ |access-date=December 2, 2023 |website=Dayton Daily News}}{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Justin |date=August 17, 2022 |title=Ivan Pace Jr. has been more than meets the eye at Cincinnati |url=https://theathletic.com/3513844/2022/08/17/ivan-pace-jr-cincinnati-football/ |access-date=December 3, 2023 |website=The Athletic |language=en}} He joined his brother, Deshawn, who also plays linebacker for the team.{{Cite web |last=Dyer |first=Mike |date=November 22, 2018 |title=Brothers lead Colerain to state semifinals |url=https://www.wcpo.com/news/insider/family-football-and-faith-mean-everything-for-colerain-standouts |access-date=December 3, 2023 |website=WCPO 9 Cincinnati |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Springer |first=Scott |date=January 4, 2022 |title=Ivan Pace Jr. transferring to Cincinnati, rejoining brother Deshawn on Bearcats football team |url=https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/high-school/high-school-sports/2022/01/04/transfer-portal-reunites-colerains-pace-brothers-ucbearcats/9088124002/ |access-date=December 3, 2023 |website=The Enquirer |language=en-US}} He was a starter his first year at Cincinnati in 2022.{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Justin |date=September 29, 2022 |title=How Ivan Pace Jr. emerged as a dominant linebacker at Cincinnati |url=https://theathletic.com/3638207/2022/09/29/ivan-pace-cincinnati/ |access-date=December 3, 2023 |website=The Athletic |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Heltman |first=Russ |date=September 13, 2022 |title=Ivan Pace Jr. Turning Heads and Taking Names Early at UC |url=https://www.si.com/college/cincinnati/football/ivan-pace-jr-turning-heads-and-taking-names-early-at-uc |access-date=December 3, 2023 |website=SI.com |language=en}}
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 5
| height in = 10 1/2
| weight = 231
| dash = 4.62
| ten split = 1.70
| twenty split = 2.66
| shuttle = 4.40
| cone drill = 7.18
| vertical = 35.0
| broad ft = 9
| broad in = 8
| bench = 22
| arm span = 30 1/4
| hand span = 9 1/2
| note = Sources:{{Cite web |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/ivan-pace-jr/32005041-4322-7420-e151-cbb8330c9baa |title=Ivan Pace Jr. Draft and Combine Prospect Profile |website=NFL.com |access-date=May 3, 2023}}{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1037356&DraftYear=2023 |title=2023 NFL Draft Scout Ivan Pace Jr. College Football Profile |access-date=May 3, 2023 |website=DraftScout.com}}
}}
Pace signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent on April 29, 2023.{{Cite web |date=April 29, 2023 |title=Vikings Agree to Terms with 15 Undrafted Free Agents |url=https://www.vikings.com/news/undrafted-free-agents-2023-nfl-draft |access-date=December 2, 2023 |website=Vikings.com}} On August 29, 2023, the Vikings announced that he had made the initial 53-man roster.{{Cite web |last=Peters |first=Craig |date=August 29, 2023 |title=Vikings Set Initial 53-Man Roster for 2023 |url=https://www.vikings.com/news/roster-moves-initial-53-man-waived-injured-2023 |access-date=October 24, 2023 |website=Vikings.com}} In Week 14, Pace recorded 13 tackles, a sack, a tackle for loss, and an interception in a 3–0 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, earning National Football Conference Defensive Player of the Week.{{Cite web |last=Gordon |first=Grant |date=December 13, 2023 |title=New York QBs Zach Wilson, Tommy DeVito highlight Players of the Week |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/new-york-qbs-zach-wilson-tommy-devito-highlight-players-of-the-week |access-date=2024-10-08 |website=NFL.com}} As a rookie, Pace appeared in all 17 games and made 11 starts. He had 2.5 sacks, 102 total tackles (63 solo), one interception, two passes defended, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.{{Cite web |title=Ivan Pace 2023 Game Log |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PaceIv00/gamelog/2023/ |access-date=2024-07-07 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} Pace was named to the PFWA NFL All Rookie Team.{{Cite web |title=2023 NFL All-Rookie Team |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/awards/nfl-all-rookie-2023.htm |access-date=2024-07-07 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}
In Week 7 of the 2024 season, against the Detroit Lions, Pace recorded a fumble recovery for a touchdown set up by teammate Josh Metellus.{{cite web | last=Wald | first=Jeff | title=Vikings drop 31-29 thriller to Lions for first loss of season | publisher=FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul | date=2024-10-20 | url=https://www.fox9.com/sports/vikings-drop-31-29-thriller-lions-first-loss-season | access-date=2024-10-26}} In a Week 18 rematch, he intercepted a Jared Goff pass, again set up by Metellus.{{Cite web |title=Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions - January 5th, 2025 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/202501050det.htm |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}
Personal life
Pace's younger brother, Deshawn, plays linebacker for the UCF Knights.{{Cite web |title=Deshawn Pace - Football |url=https://gobearcats.com/sports/football/roster/deshawn-pace/11559 |access-date=December 15, 2023 |website=University of Cincinnati Athletics |language=en}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{footballstats|yahoo=40301|espn=4430280|nfl=ivan-pace-jr}}
- [https://www.vikings.com/team/players-roster/ivan-pace-jr/ Minnesota Vikings bio]
- [https://miamiredhawks.com/sports/football/roster/ivan-pace-jr-/7109 Miami RedHawks bio]
- [https://gobearcats.com/sports/football/roster/ivan--pace--jr-/10918 Cincinnati Bearcats bio]
{{2022 NCAA Division I FBS College Football Consensus All-Americans}}
{{Minnesota Vikings roster navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pace, Ivan, Jr.}}
Category:All-American college football players
Category:American football linebackers
Category:Cincinnati Bearcats football players
Category:Miami RedHawks football players