TicketsCINCINNATI – No. 21 Cincinnati senior linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. was named a finalist for the Butkus Award on Tuesday.
The Cincinnati native and Colerain High School product is the only player in the nation to rank in the Top 10 in TFLs, sacks and tackles.
He joins Jack Campbell (Iowa), Jamon Dumas-Johnson (Georgia), Davian Henley (Washington State) and Drew Sanders (Arkansas) as finalists for the honor that is given annually to the nation's top linebacker.
Pace Jr.'s selection marks the second straight year a Bearcat has been named a finalist for the Butkus Award. Darrian Beavers was named a finalist in 2021.
He ranks second in TFLs (19.0), ninth in sacks (9.0) and ninth in tackles (107) for a Bearcats team that will look to defeat No. 19 Tulane on Friday at Nippert Stadium to advance to a fourth consecutive American Athletic Conference Championship Game.
Pace Jr. is the second-highest rated defender and the top linebacker in country according to Pro Football Focus, and he collected National Linebacker of the Month honors from the Butkus in October.
Pace Jr. was named a Midseason All-American by the Associated Press, ESPN, The Athletic and Pro Football Focus.
In Week 4, he was outstanding against Indiana, tallying 15 tackles, 4.5 TFLs (fifth-most in UC history), 2.5 sacks and three QB hurries en route to AAC Defensive Player of the Week, Bednarik National Player of the Week and PFF Defensive Player of the Week honors.
He is a two-time PFF National Team of the Week honoree and two-time member of the AAC Weekly Honor Roll.
Pace Jr. finished 10th in the nation with 125 tackles in 2021 while playing for Miami (Ohio). He had six sacks in a game for the Redhawks against Akron in 2019, as well.
// MORE INFORMATION ON THE BUTKUS AWARD
The Butkus Foundation will announce the winner of the award on or before Dec. 7.
The 2022 Butkus Award winner will be honored at a televised event on Jan. 21, 2023, at the Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa in Rancho Mirage, Calif. The event will again feature namesake Dick Butkus and numerous noted NFL Alumni. Ticket and sponsorship information is available by contacting the Butkus Foundation.
// LIMITED SINGLE-GAME TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE
There are still a limited number of single game tickets available for the regular season finale versus Tulane. Tickets can be purchased HERE.
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati Athletics, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow Cincinnati Athletics on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
// ABOUT CINCINNATI ATHLETICS
The University of Cincinnati Department of Athletics competes at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics with the vision to reach Next Level Success for all 18 varsity teams and more than 500 student-athletes. The Bearcats have a proud athletics history, winning eight national championships and 117 conference titles. The Cincinnati men's basketball team is among the 15 winningest programs all-time, while the football team became the first American Athletic Conference program to compete in the College Football Playoff in 2021. Olympic gold medalist volleyball player Jordan Thompson, NBA Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson and Major League Baseball legend Sandy Koufax are among the several luminaries who have competed as Bearcats.
UC student-athletes collectively posted a 3.369 overall GPA in the spring of 2021 with 77 percent earning spots on the Honor Roll, while six student-athletes collected CoSIDA Academic All-America accolades.
Under the leadership of Director of Athletics John Cunningham, and supported by more than 150 full-time staff members, UC Athletics' mission is to connect our community, enhance our University and impact the lives of student-athletes as they prepare to change the world on and off the field.
For more information visit gobearcats.com. -GoBEARCATS.com-
The Cincinnati native and Colerain High School product is the only player in the nation to rank in the Top 10 in TFLs, sacks and tackles.
He joins Jack Campbell (Iowa), Jamon Dumas-Johnson (Georgia), Davian Henley (Washington State) and Drew Sanders (Arkansas) as finalists for the honor that is given annually to the nation's top linebacker.
Pace Jr.'s selection marks the second straight year a Bearcat has been named a finalist for the Butkus Award. Darrian Beavers was named a finalist in 2021.
He ranks second in TFLs (19.0), ninth in sacks (9.0) and ninth in tackles (107) for a Bearcats team that will look to defeat No. 19 Tulane on Friday at Nippert Stadium to advance to a fourth consecutive American Athletic Conference Championship Game.
Pace Jr. is the second-highest rated defender and the top linebacker in country according to Pro Football Focus, and he collected National Linebacker of the Month honors from the Butkus in October.
Pace Jr. was named a Midseason All-American by the Associated Press, ESPN, The Athletic and Pro Football Focus.
In Week 4, he was outstanding against Indiana, tallying 15 tackles, 4.5 TFLs (fifth-most in UC history), 2.5 sacks and three QB hurries en route to AAC Defensive Player of the Week, Bednarik National Player of the Week and PFF Defensive Player of the Week honors.
He is a two-time PFF National Team of the Week honoree and two-time member of the AAC Weekly Honor Roll.
Pace Jr. finished 10th in the nation with 125 tackles in 2021 while playing for Miami (Ohio). He had six sacks in a game for the Redhawks against Akron in 2019, as well.
// MORE INFORMATION ON THE BUTKUS AWARD
The Butkus Foundation will announce the winner of the award on or before Dec. 7.
The 2022 Butkus Award winner will be honored at a televised event on Jan. 21, 2023, at the Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa in Rancho Mirage, Calif. The event will again feature namesake Dick Butkus and numerous noted NFL Alumni. Ticket and sponsorship information is available by contacting the Butkus Foundation.
// LIMITED SINGLE-GAME TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE
There are still a limited number of single game tickets available for the regular season finale versus Tulane. Tickets can be purchased HERE.
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati Athletics, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow Cincinnati Athletics on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
// ABOUT CINCINNATI ATHLETICS
The University of Cincinnati Department of Athletics competes at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics with the vision to reach Next Level Success for all 18 varsity teams and more than 500 student-athletes. The Bearcats have a proud athletics history, winning eight national championships and 117 conference titles. The Cincinnati men's basketball team is among the 15 winningest programs all-time, while the football team became the first American Athletic Conference program to compete in the College Football Playoff in 2021. Olympic gold medalist volleyball player Jordan Thompson, NBA Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson and Major League Baseball legend Sandy Koufax are among the several luminaries who have competed as Bearcats.
UC student-athletes collectively posted a 3.369 overall GPA in the spring of 2021 with 77 percent earning spots on the Honor Roll, while six student-athletes collected CoSIDA Academic All-America accolades.
Under the leadership of Director of Athletics John Cunningham, and supported by more than 150 full-time staff members, UC Athletics' mission is to connect our community, enhance our University and impact the lives of student-athletes as they prepare to change the world on and off the field.
For more information visit gobearcats.com. -GoBEARCATS.com-