Taking in the Cotton Bowl semifinal in Dallas to watch his brother play in a national semifinal must have sealed the deal.
Ivan Pace Jr., who entered the NCAA transfer portal after Miami University's Frisco Bowl win over North Texas, will join his brother, Deshawn, as a Cincinnati Bearcat. That sets up a 2022 Bearcat linebacker corps with siblings that previously slammed together at Colerain High School.
Ivan Pace Jr. is a year older than Deshawn and is a 6-foot, 239-pound linebacker who was the Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Year for Miami's RedHawks. In 13 games, he had 125 tackles and 13 tackles for loss. He will be a junior at UC in terms of eligibility.
At Colerain High School, he was a three-year starter for Tom Bolden, now the head coach at Lakota West. He had more than 200 tackles between 2016-2018 leading the Cardinals to a Division I state runner-up finish his senior year when he was Ohio's DI Defensive Player of the Year. That season he had 80 tackles, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, a pick-six and six sacks.
"What a great opportunity to go play with your brother in that atmosphere UC's got going on now!" Bolden said. "He is arguably the best football player I have ever coached, all that he could do on a football field."
For Bolden, Pace Jr. rarely came off the field as he was Colerain's top running back. He gained more than 2,400 yards in two seasons, including 1,441 his senior year with 22 touchdowns. Now, he rejoins his 6-foot-2 inch, 218-pound brother after playing against him in last fall's Battle for the Victory Bell at Nippert Stadium.
Deshawn Pace was also a Greater Miami Conference Defensive Player of the Year at Colerain. Considered more of a safety in high school with 11 career interceptions, Pace has bulked up to linebacker size and had 95 tackles and four interceptions for the Bearcats during their run to AT&T Stadium. For reference, UC senior Darrian Beavers was also a defensive back at Colerain before bulking up to 255 as a Bearcat and turning into a punishing defender.
Ivan Pace Jr. is already a tank.
"He's 240 pounds and he's a 400-pound bench presser and 500-something pound squatter," Bolden said. "He is a hammer, there's no doubt about that. A lot of people don't know Ivan won the GMC 220-pound wrestling title his senior year. He was a phenomenal wrestler; he plays with leverage and can get low."
As documented, Bearcats head coach Luke Fickell was a three-time Ohio state wrestling champion.
Shawn Cutright, who coordinated Colerain's defense when both Pace brothers played, is the current head coach of the Cardinals. He looks forward to side-by-side Paces in the Bearcat starting lineup.
"Ivan is one heck of a player and we already know what DP (Deshawn) has been doing down there," Cutright said. "That's going to be huge for UC moving forward, another Cincinnati guy that has city pride and will fight, claw and do whatever he's asked to do. He's got grit, toughness and plays with confidence."
Cutright thinks his height initially restricted his offers, but after his RedHawks career, Arkansas, Missouri, the Miami Hurricanes, LSU and Kansas State came calling along with the hometown Bearcats.
"I think he's going to have a great career down there," Cutright said. "He enjoyed his time at Miami, but he was ready to move it up and do something a little bit bigger."
The University of Cincinnati won't officially confirm Pace Jr.'s presence until he signs or officially is enrolled in class. He entered the transfer portal on Christmas Eve, was at the UC-Alabama game New Year's Eve and announced his intentions via Twitter Jan. 3.
Their father, Ivan Pace Sr., was also a Colerain Cardinal. His wife, Shellie Lynne Pace, tweeted out Monday, "Yes!!! My boys are Home!!!"
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