Miami defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. added another line to his growing resume on Monday, when he was named one of four finalists for the prestigious Lott IMPACT Trophy.
The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation announced that Bain is joined on the finalist list by Georgia linebacker C.J. Allen, Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez. The winner will be revealed Dec. 7 in a ceremony televised on CBS Sports Network at 7 p.m. ET.
Past winners of the Lott IMPACT Trophy include J.J. Watt, Luke Kuechly, Will Anderson Jr., Aidan Hutchinson and most recently Colorado star Travis Hunter.
Impact every snap. Leadership every day.
— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) November 24, 2025
Rueben Bain is a Lott IMPACT Trophy finalist, honoring the nation’s top defensive leader on and off the field! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/GUqe1sDYuW
Rueben Bain's 2025 campaign
Bain's candidacy is built on a 2025 season where he has anchored Miami's defensive front. Through 11 games, he has 32 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, a forced fumble, and an interception. Those numbers come after he battled through an injury-shortened 2024 campaign that still saw him post 23 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in nine games.
He opened 2025 by tormenting Notre Dame in Miami's big Week 1 win, a performance that helped him snag Lott IMPACT Trophy Player of the Week recognition and ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors.
Pro Football Focus graded Bain as the highest-rated edge rusher at midseason, ahead of past stars like Chase Young and Hutchinson, while charting 30 pressures in just 155 pass-rush snaps. That level of week-to-week disruption has fueled Miami's defensive resurgence and pushed Bain into conversations that usually do not include defensive linemen, from the Lombardi Award — where he is already a semifinalist — to even fringe Heisman buzz in some corners of the sport.
Miami enters the final week of the regular season at 9-2 overall and 5-2 in ACC play, heading into a pivotal road trip to Pittsburgh.