Former Cincinnati Bearcat linebacker has a great game defensively en route to a 38-point victory over the Bengals

Ivan Pace Jr. who was formerly a Cincinnati Bearcat in 2022 and went to Colrain High School in Cincinnati is entering his third season as a Minnesota Viking and is showing that he is ready for the next jump.

Pace was a high-profile college football player, winning the 2022 American Defensive Player of the Year Award as well as being named to the All-American First Team in 2022. Despite his great play, he went undrafted and was later signed to the Vikings.

In his rookie season, he was a finalist for the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, which was given to Will Anderson Jr., many of whom thought it was due to his high-profile name.

This past week, the Vikings faced off against the Cincinnati Bengals, winning convincingly by a final score of 48-10. Pace had 12 total tackles, 9 of them coming solo, and 3 quarterback hits. Pace leads Minnesota in total tackles, solo tackles, and assisted tackles.

Pace is currently tied seventh in the NFL in solo tackles and sixteenth in the NFL for total tackles. If Pace keeps playing like this, he could finally be getting the recognition he deserves.