In addition to 13 players earning All-AAC honors on Wednesday, Mason Fletcher was named AAC Special Teams Player of the Year and Ivan Pace Jr. picked up AAC Defensive Player of the Year.
Fletcher is the first player in school history to secure AAC Special Teams Player of the Year and has an opportunity to add another accolade after being nominated for the Ray Guy Award this week.
Pace was recently named a finalist for the Bednarik Award and became the second consecutive Bearcat to win AAC Defensive Player of the Year following star cornerback Sauce Gardner.
Six players were placed on the All-AAC First Team alongside Fletcher and Pace including defensive tackle Jowon Briggs, cornerback Ja’Quan Sheppard, tight end Josh Whyle and defensive tackle Dontay Corleone.
#Bearcats senior linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. was revealed as a finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award, which is set to be presented to the nation’s best defensive player! 🔥https://t.co/CwpJ5Sz0Gi pic.twitter.com/LPjsdA9scO
— Cincy on the Prowl (@CincyOnTheProwl) November 29, 2022
Cincinnati Football: 13 players earn All-AAC honors including Ivan Pace Jr, Mason Fletcher
The Bearcats also had four players appear on the All-AAC Second Team including safety Ja’Von Hicks, offensive tackle James Tunstall, place kicker Ryan Coe and wide receiver Tyler Scott.
Cincinnati senior cornerback Arquon Bush, senior offensive lineman Dylan O’Quinn and redshirt sophomore offensive tackle Joe Huber were also recognized as All-AAC honorable mentions.
Despite coming up short of a third straight AAC championship, Cincinnati had the second-most players receive All-AAC honors. Only first place Tulane (15) had more than the Bearcats.
The Green Wave racked up a pair of awards as well with junior running back Tyjae Spears earning AAC Offensive Player of the Year and head coach Willie Fritz winning AAC Coach of the Year.