Ivan Pace Jr.

Pos: Linebacker

School: Cincinnati

Ht. 5’10″ 

Wt. 231

Games Watched: Louisville, Tulane, UCF

One Liner: Undersized yet explosive off ball linebacker who wins with elite strength, athletic ability and motor.

Strengths: 

  • Elite athletic ability. Pace flies all over the field. He runs with tenacity and makes athletic plays in the pass and run game. His athleticism contributes to his ability to blitz in A, B and C gaps. He can flatten around the edge in blitzing situations too
  • Very Good Strength. Pace packs a punch and can hammer opposing blockers in the pass game, especially RB’s in pass pro. 
  • Very good motor. Pace explodes off the screen on just about every down, flying over to make tackles whenever he gets the chance.
  • Good instincts and eye discipline. Pace is an experienced Senior who has a good grasp of eye discipline and an understanding of where the ball can be before he attacks. Good feel for zones and can explode off good reads made on QB eyes.

Weaknesses:

  • Poor length and height. Pace is solely held back by his 5’10 height and 30 inch arms. As strong as he is, he can’t always escape at the point of attack once lineman make contact. 
  • Marginal angles and pursuit. Pace has a good motor but his tackling angles are still developing as he overshoots often. 

Overall Assessment: Pace is a high effort player who can dominate the run game with his strength and ability to fly into gaps. In the pass game, Pace has a good feel for zones and can be a reliable WILL LB in hook zones at the next level due to his eye discipline. Overall, Pace is an exceptional athlete, but his lack of length and height will hold him back from being dominant at the next level. 

Pro Comp: David Long Jr.

Scheme Fit: WILL LB in an even front defense

Pick Projection: 4th round

Grade: 6.18