Deshawn Pace is listed as a "linebacker" on UCF's roster, but don't be surprised when you see him playing multiple positions.

"They've got me as an athlete," Pace said. "I play everything. Right now I'm playing will linebacker so I'm getting comfortable with that. I need to get that down pat so I don't have to worry about it and think too much when I'm switching positions."

At Cincinnati, Pace played STAR which is a hybrid linebacker/defensive back position.

"We've already got a plan for all that," Pace said. "They told me that I'd be rotating around. I might play linebacker, then one play I might go down and rush off the edge. Then I might go back to nickel or safety. You never know."

Pace was one of the multiple defensive newcomers that transferred to UCF in January. He played his first four years at Cincinnati and was one of the Bearcats' key defensive starters.

During his 2021 sophomore year in which Cincinnati advanced to the College Football Playoff, Pace finished third on the team and sixth in the AAC with 94 tackles to go along with a team-high four interceptions.

In 2022, Pace recorded 62 tackles with five TFLs. And in 2023, he was Cincinnati's leading tackler with 80 stops.