Announced plans in January 2024 to transfer to UCF, enroll for 2024 spring semester and participate in 2024 UCF spring football drills . . . brings 46 career game appearances at Cincinnati and 247 career tackles to UCF defensive backs room.
SENIOR (2023) at Cincinnati
- Honorable mention All-Big 12 selection by league coaches as senior
- Finished his Cincinnati career with 247 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss (57 yards), three sacks (15 yards), six interceptions, 14 passes defensed, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and two blocked kicks
- Led team with 80 tackles (11th in Big 12 at 7.3 per game) and added team-high 11 tackles for loss (18 yards)
- Also was second on Bearcats in passes broken up (6) and led in quarterback hurries (6)
- Started 11 games (all but Oklahoma)
- Led team in tackles in six games—with nine vs. BYU, 10 vs. Iowa State (then a career high), 11 vs. Baylor, nine vs. UCF, five vs. Houston (plus a TFL and interception) and career-high 12 vs. West Virginia
- Only full sack came vs. Baylor
- Had at least a half TFL in nine games, including 2.5 vs. Baylor and two vs. UCF
- Preseason All-Big 12 pick by Phil Steele and Athlon
- Transitioned to “star” linebacker/defensive back hybrid role in 2023.
JUNIOR (2022) at Cincinnati
- Versatile junior linebacker who started eight games and appeared in all 13 contests
- Ranked fifth on Bearcats with 62 tackles
- Tallied five TFLs and had one sack, one fumble recovery and blocked one kick (vs. Kennesaw State)
- Had a TFL at Arkansas and vs. Kennesaw State to open season
- Made five stops vs. Indiana
- Tallied five tackles, one sack and made a goal-line interception at Tulsa
- Recorded seven tackles at SMU
- Tallied six stops with a half-TFL and fumble recovery at UCF
- Made season-high 10 tackles and had TFL vs. East Carolina
- Capped season with seven stops vs. Louisville in Wasabi Fenway Bowl.
SOPHOMORE (2021) at Cincinnati
- Dynamic sophomore defensive playmaker who finished sixth in conference and third on team with 94 tackles while also adding nine for loss and a team-high four interceptions
- Collected All-American Athletic Conference honorable mention notice
- Named AAC Defensive Player of the Week following Indiana game in which he had crucial interception and career-high 10 tackles
- His field-goal block at Navy and subsequent return set up Alex Bales’ 52-yard field goal on next play to close first hal
- Of his four interceptions, first was 39-yard return to set up icing TD late at Indiana, while another went for 27 yards into deep red zone at Notre Dame in following game
- Other interceptions were vs. UCF and South Florida
- Had nine tackles vs. Navy and eight vs. Miami and Temple
- Tallied nine tackles and a half-tackle for loss vs. No. 1 Alabama in College Football Playoff semifinal at Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.
FRESHMAN (2020) at Cincinnati
- Played in eight games during true freshman campaign
- Finished with 10 tackles and a forced fumble
- Tallied four tackles on two occasions, vs. Memphis and East Carolina
- Had two tackles in opener vs. Austin Peay
- Forced fumble vs. East Carolina on final play of game.
High School
- Played for coach Shawn Cutright at Colerain High School in Cincinnati
- Composite three-star recruit was part of three Greater Miami Conference championship squads for Cardinals
- High-school defensive back who projected to play strongside linebacker/sniper position at Cincinnati
- Three-time first-team All-GMC selection
- Named Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association first-team All-Ohio and first-team All-Southwest District as senior defensive back
- OPSWA Southwest District Defensive Player of the Year as senior in 2019 for 11-2 Colerain squad
- GMC Defensive Athlete of Year and first-team All-GMC honoree in 2019
- Totaled 47 tackles, three interceptions and one forced fumble during senior campaign
- Had 36 tackles for Colerain’s state runner-up team as junior, along with a forced fumble, three recoveries (one for a TD) and a pair of interceptions
- Colerain finished 14-1 in 2018 with lone defeat coming to St. Edward in Ohio Division I state-title game
- Earned first-team All-GMC honors as junior in 2018
- Recorded 52 tackles and four picks as sophomore, earning first-team All-GMC accolades, as Colerain advanced to state playoff semifinals.
Personal
- Graduated from Cincinnati in December 2023 with degree in interdisciplinary studies
- Brother Ivan Jr. was starting rookie free-agent linebacker in 2023 for NFL Minnesota Vikings (he finished fourth on team in tackles) after earning unanimous first-team All-America honors at Cincinnati in 2022 and previously starting at Miami (Ohio) in 2019-21.