Rueben Bain Jr. has been through the draft-night photos, the rookie minicamp clips and the first round of offseason interviews. But his first Tampa Bay Buccaneers full-uniform image just dropped and it shows he's ready for the 2026 NFL season.
The Bucs shared Bain in Tampa Bay's red No. 3 jersey and pewter helmet. Buccaneers fans now have a look at the player the franchise believes can help change its pass rush.
You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it. pic.twitter.com/xTmr8wcaLr
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) June 29, 2026
Bain wore No. 4 during Miami's run to the College Football Playoff national championship game and he will wear No. 3 in Tampa Bay, becoming the first edge rusher in Buccaneers history to take that number.
Rueben Bain will attempt to fill a big need for the Bucs
The Buccaneers finished tied for 18th in the NFL with 37 sacks last season and ranked 24th in sack rate per pass play. Yaya Diaby led the team with seven sacks, while no other Tampa Bay edge rusher recorded more than three. The Bucs have not had a player reach 10 sacks since Shaquil Barrett in 2021.
Bain enters that room after doing nearly everything Miami could have asked from him in 2025. He started all 16 games, posted 54 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks, then led the FBS with 83 quarterback hurries. He won ACC Defensive Player of the Year and the Ted Hendricks Award while helping Miami win a program-record 13 games and reach the national championship game.
Bain had five sacks across Miami's four College Football Playoff games and finished the national championship game with eight tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack.
Miami fans watched a local star become an ACC Defensive Player of the Year and a first-round pick. Now, Tampa Bay fans now see a 21-year-old pass rusher in the uniform, at a position where the Bucs need immediate help, looking every bit like a player ready for a major role.
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