Miami football offers MAC Defensive Player of the Year Ivan Pace

The Miami football team has offered a scholarship to linebacker Ivan Pace according to a tweet he posted on Sunday. Pace entered the transfer portal on Thursday. Pro Football Focus named Pace the Mid American Conference Player of the Year in his first season as a starter. Pace had 125 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and four sacks.

Cincinnati, LSU, Kansas State, Missouri have also offered Pace according to his Twitter account. Miami needs to upgrade their play at LB. The Hurricanes lost former starter, Bradley Jennings Jr., as a transfer to Indiana. Jennings was passed on the depth chart during the season. Corey Flagg and Waynmon Steed led Miami in tackles.

Pace would provide Miami with better size than they currently have at LB at 6’0, 239 pounds. If Miami can sign Pace, they would gain a LB who is equally adept in coverage, against the run, or as a pass rusher, particularly as a blitzer. Pace’s brother Deshawn had 95 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and four interceptions for Cincinnati.

Pace can be an immediate impact player for the Miami football program at LB. Flagg would likely remain at MLB to be challenged by incoming freshman Wesley Bissainthe. Pace would start at OLB to be backed up by Keontra Smith and Steed. Flagg had 60 tackles this season and Steed 55 which were less combined than Pace.

"MAC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEARLB IVAN PACE JR., MIAMI (OH) REDHAWKSPace stepped into a starting job for the first time this year and came out with an 88.3 PFF grade in regular-season action. He’s been a weapon regardless of the role but stood out as a blitzer, earning a 91.2 pass-rush grade and totaling 19 pressures on 46 rushes.Pace paired that with an 88.6 coverage grade and 78.7 run-defense grade."

Pace finished 10th in the country and led the MAC in tackles in 2021. PFF graded Pace significantly higher than the Miami LBs. Flagg received a grade of 58.8 against the run and a 70.5 tackling grade from PFF in 2021 via David Lake of Inside the U. Miami has too frequently lacked the production at LB Pace had in 2021.

According to Lake, the Miami football team has had only two LBs record at least 100 tackles in the last 10 seasons. Shaq Quarterman had 107 tackles in 2019. Denzel Perryman had 108 tackles in 203 and 110 in 2013. Perryman and Quarterman are both currently in the NFL with the Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars.

The decision by Pace will likely ultimately be influenced by who head coach Mario Cristobal hires as defensive coordinator. Miami will almost definitely hire a new LBs coach to replace Jonathan Patke. That will also likely impact the decision Pace makes if he will transfer to Miami or continue his collegiate career elsewhere.