30 key Miami Hurricanes for 2025 season: Full strength Rueben Bain key for UM
The Miami Hurricanes kick off the 2025 season on Aug. 31 with a marquee matchup against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Hard Rock Stadium (7:30 p.m., ABC).
With the calendar officially flipped to August, the Miami Herald is counting down 30 of the most important players on the Hurricanes’ roster, one per day leading up to the season opener, to provide a closer look at the team heading into coach Mario Cristobal’s fourth season.
Today: The No. 3 player on our list, Rueben Bain Jr.
What to know
Position: Defensive lineman
Hometown: Miami
Year: Junior
How he got to Miami: 2023 recruiting class
Key stats: 67 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, 3 forced fumbles in 22 games (20 starts) over two seasons for Miami
In summary: Rueben Bain Jr. made his presence known as a freshman with 12 and a half tackles for loss and seven-and-a-half sacks en route to being named the ACC’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2023. His sophomore year was hampered by an injury in the season opener against Florida, leading to a dip in production (23 tackles, five-and-a-half tackles for loss, three-and-a-half sacks in nine games). He’s fully healthy now, put together a stellar fall camp and is looking to return to his freshman-season form. If he can do that, he’ll be a key factor on Miami’s defensive line.
What they’re saying
“I’m going out, playing a caliber of football I like to play, to my standard. Really just having fun with football again. .... [I’m] Definitely more vocal, leading physically and vocally,” Bain said. “I see myself being more mature, which is crazy, because I thought I came out of high school pretty mature. But now I’m actually stepping up and leading in ways I never thought I would or never thought I’d be comfortable doing.” — Rueben Bain Jr. on where things stand entering his junior season
“Ruben’s approach to the off-season was awesome. He made it a point to get down to 275-pounds and lean up, become more explosive and stay healthy. Last year, obviously, we lost him, I think play number two, and didn’t get him back till game five. And as you saw as a freshman, he was one of the more impactful freshmen in the country. This system allows him to play fast and free. He’s extremely intelligent. He’s able to coach the guys around him as well, and his effort levels, his levels of leadership, and just culture have really taken another step. We’ve seen it in practice on a daily basis, and we expect an awesome year out of Rueben Bain.” — Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal on Rueben Bain Jr.
“He’s got great get off. He’s got great pad level. He swarms to the football. He’s detailed in how he finishes every single rep. And then after practice, he’s one of the guys when you walk back up in the office, he’s down working on whatever it was that day in practice that he needs to clean up.” — Defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman on Rueben Bain Jr.
The rest of the series
No. 4: Linebacker Wesley Bissainthe
No. 5: Cornerback OJ Frederique Jr.
No. 6: Right guard Anez Cooper
No. 7: Safety Zechariah Poyser
No. 8: Linebacker Mohamed Toure
No. 9: Running back Mark Fletcher Jr.
No. 10: Tight end Elija Lofton
No. 11: Defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor
No. 12: Wide receiver Joshisa Trader
No. 13: Offensive lineman Markel Bell
No. 14: Defensive back Xavier Lucas
No. 15: Defensive lineman Justin Scott
No. 16: Wide receiver CJ Daniels
No. 17: Defensive lineman David Blay
No. 18: Defensive lineman Ahmad Moten
No. 19: Center James Brockermeyer
No. 20: Wide receiver Keelan Marion
No. 21: Defensive back Jakobe Thomas
No. 23: Defensive back Keionte Scott
No. 24: Running back Jordan Lyle
No. 25: Defensive back Damari Brown
No. 26: Defensive lineman Armondo Blount
No. 27: Wide receiver Malachi Toney
No. 28: Defensive back Ethan O’Connor
No. 29: Linebacker Kamal Bonner
No. 30: Running back CharMar Brown
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