After four weeks of the 2025 season, the Miami Hurricanes have climbed to No. 2 in the country, thanks in large part to the fast and physical defense they are boasting in Year 4 under head coach Mario Cristobal.
One of the leaders of that defense is edge defender Rueben Bain Jr. The junior has been an absolute menace this season. He has been so dominant that analysts such as Pro Football Focus’ Max Chadwick believe he might be the best player in the country so far.
“Rueben Bain Jr. is your Heisman through four weeks,” Chadwick wrote. “His 95.8 PFF grade is the highest of any player in the country. He has not graded below a 90 at all this season. If the trophy is really for ‘the most outstanding player,’ there’s no question who that is right now.”
Bain looks to have made a full recovery after an injury-prone 2024. He has helped make new defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman’s job easier. Miami currently ranks 15th in both total and scoring defense and 11th in third-down conversions.
Bain himself has totaled 22 tackles, including four for loss, two sacks, one forced fumble and one interception.
Rueben Bain Jr’s Draft Stock Keeps Rising
Everyone knew Bain was going to be special after his freshman season, when he tallied 44 tackles, 13 for loss, 7.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. But a sophomore season marred by injuries delayed him from reaching his full potential. He seems back to form — and then some — in 2025.
Through four games, Bain has become one of the top prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft. ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid called him the most impactful “draft-eligible prospect in the country” after Miami’s win over USF.
“Bain’s combination of power and disruption makes him arguably one of the three best defensive linemen in a loaded class at the position,” Reid said.
Mel Kiper Jr. added that if Bain stays healthy, he has “top-10 upside.”
“I just love the way he plays the game,” Kiper said. “He is constantly hustling and never takes plays off. Bain is powerful, bends well, shows speed off the edge and knows how to use his hands to get leverage. He can generate pressure inside and outside; I really like his inside moves, and he displays a reliable rip move to beat blockers. Taking the right angle to the QB is a very underrated trait for an edge rusher, and Bain does that as well as anyone.”
Rueben Bain Jr. Could Be Miami Hurricanes Third Heisman Winner
If Bain can keep up his impressive season, there is a chance he could end up in New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony. That said, the odds are not in his favor.
The only primarily defensive player to win the Heisman was Michigan’s Charles Woodson in 1997. In 2024, Colorado’s Travis Hunter took home the award, but he was a two-way star who also played wide receiver and scored five offensive touchdowns.
Bain would be a true defensive player to win the Heisman, never playing an offensive snap. That would also make him the Hurricanes’ third winner of the award, joining Vinny Testaverde and Gino Torretta.