CINCINNATI  –  Cincinnati senior linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. was named one of three finalists on Tuesday for the Chuck Bednarik Award, given to the nation's top defensive player.
 
The winner will be announced on the 32nd annual The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 8 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.
 
Pace Jr., who starred at Colerain High School in Cincinnati, tallied 120 tackles to go along with 19.5 TFLs and 9.0 sacks in 2022, while leading a defense that ranked fifth nationally in yards per play allowed (4.52).
 
His 19.5 TFLs rank third in the nation, while his 120 stops are seventh-most in the country and his nine sacks sit 14th.
 
He is the nation's second-highest-graded defensive player according to Pro Football Focus (93.1), and a finalist for the Butkus Award, given to the nation's top linebacker.
 
He collected National Linebacker of the Month honors from the Butkus in October.
 
Pace Jr. was named a Midseason All-American by the Associated Press, ESPN, The Athletic and Pro Football Focus.
 
In Week 4, he was outstanding against Indiana, tallying 15 tackles, 4.5 TFLs (fifth-most in UC history), 2.5 sacks and three QB hurries en route to AAC Defensive Player of the Week, Bednarik National Player of the Week and PFF Defensive Player of the Week honors.
 
He is a two-time PFF National Team of the Week honoree and two-time member of the AAC Weekly Honor Roll.
 
Pace Jr. finished 10th in the nation with 125 tackles in 2021 while playing for Miami (Ohio). He had six sacks in a game for the Redhawks against Akron in 2019, as well.
 
The American Athletic Conference has had two previous winners of the Bednarik Award: Temple's Tyler Matakevich in 2015 and Tulsa's Zaven Collins in 2020.