Rueben Bain top 30 PFF prospect if everyone in college football was eligible

Pro Football Focus named Miami defensive lineman Rueben Bain in its "2024 NFL Draft: Top 50 prospects if everyone in college football was eligible."
Oct 21, 2023; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. (44)
Oct 21, 2023; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. (44) / Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports
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Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain is 29th in the Pro Football Focus article "2024 NFL Draft: Top 50 prospects if everyone in college football was eligible." Bain would be fifth among edge rushers if everyone were eligible for the 2024 NFL Draft.

As a rising sophomore, Bain will not be eligible for the NFL Draft until 2026. Bain had a breakout freshman season in 2023 with 44 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and one pass breakup. Bain played in all 13 2023 Miami games, starting the last 10.

James Pearce of Tennessee and Nic Scourton of Texas A&M who will be draft-eligible in 2025 are the only edge rushers returning to college football in 2024 ranked ahead of Bain. Laiatu Latu of UCLA and Jared Verse of UCLA who will be drafted this weekend were the other two edge rushers ranked ahead of ahead of Bain.

Bain is the highest regarded Miami edge rusher since Jaelan Phillips was selected 18th overall by the Dolphins and Gregory Rousseau was taken with the 30th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. Bain is ahead of the pace of Phillips and Rosseau as a true freshman.

Phillips had 21 tackles, 7.0 TFLs and 3.5 sacks for UCLA as a true freshman in 2017. Rousseau had five tackles in two games before suffering a season-ending ankle injury as a true freshman in 2018, Rousseau had a breakout season with 59 tackles, 19.5 TFLs, 15.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and a pass breakup as a true freshman in 2019.

Phillips had 45 tackles, 15.5 TFLs, 8.0 TFLs, one interception and three PBUs in his one season with Miami as a redshirt junior in 2020. Bain should easily reach the numbers Phillips had for Miami in 2020. Rousseau's 15.5 sacks in 2019 are the second most in a season in the history of the Miami football program.

Next. Rueben Bain would be top 5 2024 NFL Draft Edge rusher with everyone eligible. Rueben Bain would be top 5 2024 NFL Draft Edge rusher with everyone eligible. dark

Bain would finish seventh in Miami history in career sacks at his current pace. Expect him to exceed that. Bain only needs 16.5 sacks in the next two seasons to tie Jamaal Green for fourth in Miami history. By the time he concludes his Miami career, Bain should be one of the best linemen in program history.