Ivan Pace Jr. Wins Three National Honors in PFF's Midseason Awards

The senior is wrecking defenses six games into the 2022 season.

CINCINNATI — The midseason praise seems endless for UC star linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. 

PFF named the senior their midseason Chuck Bednarik Award winner, Bronko Nagurski Award winner, and Butkus Award winner.

The first two are given out to the best defender in college football, while the latter goes to the top linebacker.

"After dominating at Miami (OH), Ivan Pace Jr. transferred to Cincinnati to form one of the best linebacker corps in the country with his younger brother, Deshawn Pace," Chad Maxwick wrote. "Ivan's eight sacks this season are tied for the most in the country, and one of those players he’s tied with is none other than Alabama's Will Anderson Jr. He also has 90.0-plus grades as both a pass-rusher and run-defender, the only linebacker in the country to achieve that."

Technically, Pace has five sacks, per NCAA stats, but PFF uses its own metrics and has him mono-e-mono with the best defensive NFL prospect in the country, Will Anderson.

The howitzer at middle linebacker picks his season back up this Saturday against SMU at noon ET on ESPN. You can watch the game via fuboTV—start your free trial here.

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