Former Cincinnati Bearcats linebackers and current Minnesota Vikings linebackers Jake Golday and Ivan Pace Jr. will be two huge impact players for the Vikings defense this upcoming season. Golday was drafted by the Vikings in the 2025 NFL Draft in the second round, No. Before coming to Cincinnati for his final 2 seasons, Golday played for the Central Arkansas Bears of the United Athletic Conference, as part of the FCS. The Vikings picked up Ivan Pace Jr. as an undrafted free agent even though he was an All-American at Cincinnati in 2022. Pace Jr. is expected to be used more as a run stopping linebacker this season, where he played as his best in 2023.