Five Things to Know About Former Miami Hurricane Rueben Bain Jr.

The Miami Hurricanes will also have a home for Rueben Bain Jr. as he takes his talents to the next level in the NFL.

Bain set a standard that the Hurricanes have been building for years since his recruiting class, and now he heads off while the Canes continue to build towards the future.

What is there to know about Rueben Bain Jr. and the talent he presents? Well, he is confident in his abilities, regardless of how others may feel about his arm length; he has the motor to compete with anyone and will go down as one of the best pass rushers and defensive players in Canes history.

Career Stats

Out of 38 games played, Bain started 36 for the Hurricanes. At the end of his junior year, he combined for 121 total tackles, 33.5 tackles for loss, 20.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, three pass deflections, and one interception.

ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year (2023)
Ted Hendricks Award (2025)

Past Injuries

For most of his Hurricanes career, Bain ended up being a day one starter thanks to a freak injury ot Akheem Mesidor. However, he suffered his own setback with a calf injury during his sophomore season, which caused him to miss four games, and even when he returned, he was clearly slower.

Nevertheless, Bain took the time to get his body right for his final season as a Hurricane, and it showed up in the right moments.

Oct 17, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. (4) plays his position against the Louisville Cardinals during the third quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Early in Bain's career, he suffered a torn left MCL during the state title game of his high school junior year, which required surgery (Jan. 2022).

Arms?

The arm length issue started to become a major talking point for the star edge rusher when the Hurricanes started to get deeper into the playoffs. Now wit hthe draft cycle almost over, the Canes legend won't have to worry about his arm length, just how dominate he can be when he is one the field.

Mesurements:

30 7/8-inch armsand a77 1/2-inch wingspan
6-foot-2 2/8
263 pounds

Weaknesses

Even with his positives, there are some weaknesses in his game.

Missed-tackle rate above 20% — Missed at least one tackle a game during the 2025 season
Undersized edge rusher (arms and height)
Plays with more power than finesse
average first step.

Former NFL Head Coach POV:

He reminds me a little bit of former Indianapolis Colts pass rusher Dwight Freeney, who was a great player. I say that because Bain Jr. has a very good first step and can quickly beat you off the line of scrimmage. He also plays all the time on all three downs. He plays with toughness and power off the edge. He was a game-wrecker this past season in Miami.