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| E.J. Junior | |
|---|---|
| Position | RB/LB |
| Height - Weight | 6'1" 210 lbs |
| Hometown | Middletown, OH |
| High School | Middletown |
| 247 Sports | - |
| Rivals | *** - 5.5 |
| ESPN | - |
| Scout | - |
While recruiting sites like Rivals and ESPN Recruiting claimed that Pace had committed to Cincinnati on Thursday, Bearcat Lair noted that he was going to wait to visit Eastern Michigan this past weekend. BCL then reported that Pace did commit to the Bearcats, but on Friday. So hat tip to Bearcat Lair for not jumping the gun on the story unlike the other two. Pace visited Clifton during the weekend of the UConn game and seemed to have come away so impressed that he committed a few days later. Pace had a visit set up with Illinois for the following weekend but with them firing Ron Zook, I’d imagine he saw the situation as too risky and decided to head South to Cincinnati. That’s perfect, because he is a terrific defensive tackle recruit in this class.
Overview
Pace plays DE/DT in high school and has a huge body. At 6’2″ 284 lbs, he towers over opposing offensive linemen at his current level. He seems to have a similar body type to Brandon Mitchell of the 2011 class in that he just overpowers opposing blockers with sheer size. It’s almost unfair at times as you can see in his highlight tape where there are very few times when he isn’t in the backfield or around the ball carrier. Quite frankly, Pace does few things wrong and has solid technique to go with his mammoth body.
Outlook
The defensive tackle position in 2012 will be a bit small with Derek Wolfe and John Hughes graduating. But the Bearcats should have a solid four-man rotation there with Jordan Stepp, Camaron Beard, Brandon Mitchell, and Roney Lozano. I hope the coaching staff finds a way to throw the redshirt on Pace when he arrives in Clifton to give the Bearcats 4 solid years in uniform.