Stop Box Score Watching Ruben Bain Jr, He is Elite
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CORAL GABLES — The Miami Hurricanes have a superstar on defense. He is one of the best players in the country and has arugments of going top three in the 2026 NFL Draft.
If you are stat watching him, then it makes sense why he is elite.
24 seconds and 1:22 https://t.co/NhH81XsT6Y
— Justice Sandle (@Justice_News5) October 27, 2025
He leads the country in defensive rating per PFF, but he only has 28 total tackles, 13 solo, two sacks, one force fumble, and an interception.
Mario Cristobal knows that even without the stats, Bain is still a force.
"Well, I think the grounding was a result of his pressure as well, right? That's a loss of down, and that's as good as a sack, right? A holding penalty also caused by that as well," Cristobal said. "It changes the way people have to play you, so they have to keep an extra guy in, that's one less receiver they have out, right? Less of a pull on a flat defender. A hook, curl player has got cleaner eyes. Also, if people, you can make them right or left handed if they choose to run away from him. But when a player causes that much change for an opponent, then maybe you don't make them one-dimensional, but certainly you handcuff them on certain things that they like to do.
Cristobal continued.
"So it's in terms of statistical numbers or whatnot. I think the world's always in love with that stuff, because it's a measurement, right? It's a metric. But the best metric for us is the film and the product on the field, and he's playing at an extremely high level that's causing people to play different. And his continued push to get better and better, it's gonna draw more and more attention. And the statistical part will come with it. The impact is, it's not going to go away. It's only going to be more and more this."
Now the Hurricanes will have one of the best mobile quarterbacks in the country to face. Bain knows that preparing for him will be similar to other quarterbacks he has seen this season, and he is up for the challenge.
"That's a big physical O-line. Great quarterback. Great guys on perimeter," Bain said. "Overall, good offense. I mean, you could see why they made it all the way so far last year and this year. They're doing a good job so far. And they are playing football the right way. They're physical, they're big, they're fast, they're quick, long arms, everything pretty much. They're playing football the right way, got all the tangibles we need."
Bain looks to break through during the second half of the season and show why he is so impressive. The Hurricanes face SMU on Nov. 1 (noon, ESPN).
Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University and is the site lead for the Miami Hurricanes on SI. He can be reached at Twitter @Justice_News5.
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Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.