Miami Hurricanes fans now know that one of the players will continue his professional career in the state of Florida after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected former Hurricanes linebacker Rueben Bain Jr. with the 15th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
It comes as a bit of a surprise as Bain was expected to be one of the first picks off of the board as opposed to sliding to the middle of the first round. But these things do happen, and this particular Draft may be one of the most unpredictable we've seen in recent NFL history.
But regardless, he's found his NFL home and is expected to be an immediate impact player for the Bucs.
"It's my mentality. It's what I can do," Bain said on live television when he took the stage shortly after being selected. "That's how I think about myself. I know I'm the best in the country. I'm sure."
It's clear he does not lack confidence and almost seems to have a bit of a chip on his shoulder after proving some who may have doubted him earlier in his career wrong.
"I'm telling you, I can do anything I put my mind to," Bain continued. "I know when I get to this next level, it's on and poppin'."
Miami Hurricanes standout Rueben Bain heads into his NFL career after being selected in the first round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Bain made some bold statements there, and he's going to have to get to work on backing those up pretty quickly.
And he will get the chance to do just that when OTA's start not long from now in the summer. So, with all of that talk, what exactly is it that Bain brings to the table as a prospect?
He finished out his final season with the Hurricanes with a stat line composed of 54 combined tackles (30 solo), 9.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one interception and one pass defended. He ended out a three-year career with 20.5 sacks and 33.5 tackles for a loss in 38 games.
Where the film is concerned beyond those numbers, there is a lot to like about Bain's game. The linebacker whose game has been compared to the likes of Dwight Freeney has been recognized for his pure power, explosiveness, ability to hold his ground at the point of attack and ability to push tackles off-balance.
But he has also faced some criticism for things he might need to fine-tune.
"Bain's sawed-off frame, with unusually short arms (30 7/8 inches) and lack of testing numbers might have scared some teams off during the pre-draft process," Nick Shook of NFL.com wrote. "He lacks elite quickness and change-of-direction skills and will occasionally fall off tackle attempts. A report also emerged late in the draft process that Bain was involved in an auto crash in 2024 in which a passenger later died as a result of it."
It will be interesting to watch how Bain's career progresses, especially with the appearance that he seems to feel slighted by falling further than anyone --and perhaps he himself -- expected.
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