Rueben Bain exited the 41-17 Miami win over Florida in the 2024 season opener with a soft tissue injury on his third snap of the game. Bain missed the next four games after getting injured against Florida in the 2024 season opener. The numbers for Bain declined in 2024 as he recovered from the injury.
Bain had 23 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in 2024. In a breakout 2023 season when Bain was a freshman All-American, he had 44 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, 3.0 forced fumbles, one pass breakup and one pass defended.
Bain has widely been regarded as the best defensive lineman and by some as the top player on defense through week three of the 2025 season. Bain is the only edge rusher nationally with 90 plus Pro Football Focus grades as a pass rusher and run defender in 2025.
Florida is tied for third nationally with an 89.8 PFF pass blocking grade and 16th in the country with a 74 run blocking grade. Bain and the Miami DL against the Florida offensive line, which has been the Gators most productive unit in 2025 per PFF, could be the decisive matchup on Saturday night.
"Rueben Bain Jr., DL, Miami: The 6-foot-3, 275-pound pass rusher is performing at an All-America level...this season with 15 stops, 11 pressures, 2.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, an interception and a forced fumble through three games. Bain was a top-100 recruit and a Freshman All-American in 2023, so there's nothing shocking about his rise, but he's making the leap as a junior and proving he's a no-doubt NFL draft first-round pick. As ESPN draft expert Jordan Reid put it, no other draft-eligible player in the sport is having a greater down-to-down impact than Bain."Max Olson, ESPN
Bain leads Miami in tackles and is second to Akheem Mesidor in TFLs and sacks in 2025. Mesidor is second on Miami in tackles. Bain told reporters this week that last year was frustrating but he is focusing on this year and he is super excited to play football again very healthy.
Bain stated he was never truly healthy after returning from his injury during the 2024 season. Now healthy Bain has shown through the first three weeks of the 2025 season that he is a potential top 10 2026 NFL Draft pick. Bain is on pace in 2025 to be near or exceed his 2023 numbers.
Bain is pushing to be an All-American with dominant games in wins over top 10 Notre Dame and top 25 South Florida. Florida enters the game with two consecutive losses but the 12th-best roster nationally in the 2025 College Football Team Talent Composite.
The Florida OL is better than 12th nationally and especially as a pass-blocking unit. Florida could be the biggest test for Bain and the Miami DL in 2025. Bain has the opportunity to make his case as the best defensive player nationally in front of a national television audience on Saturday night.