With Miami headed to College Station for a first-round College Football Playoff game, a matchup to watch is Rueben Bain Jr. against Texas A&M left tackle Trey Zuhn III. And now, there is a little extra fuel to the fire after Zuhn downplayed the Hurricanes' star edge rusher when asked how the Aggies plan to handle him this week.
During A&M's CFP media availability, Zuhn was asked what the keys were to slowing down Bain, who is widely viewed as a future first-round NFL draft pick. Zuhn brushed off the question and said of Bain, "I don't think he is a threat that we need to worry about" and added, "We will be able to handle him."
Texas A&M’s Offensive lineman was asked “what are the keys to stopping Rueben Bain who is a top pick in the draft?”
— BLEED ORANGE AND GREEN (@Brabra_Savage24) December 8, 2025
He said about Rueben Bain:
“I DONT THINK HE IS A THREAT THAT WE NEED TO WORRY ABOUT ”
“WE WILL BE ABLE TO HANDLE HIM”
😬🤫 pic.twitter.com/dGTGr4QdQC
Rueben Bain vs Trey Zuhn
That is a bold stance about one of the most disruptive defensive linemen in the country. Bain has been the face of Miami's defense almost from the moment he arrived on campus. As a freshman in 2023, he was named ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year and a Freshman All-American after leading all FBS defensive linemen in tackles for loss and recording 7.5 sacks.
Since then, he has only grown into a more complete player. Bain enters the playoff as a junior captain for the Hurricanes and a popular early projection as a top-half of the first round edge prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Zuhn is not exactly an easy target, though, which is what makes this individual matchup one of the most important between A&M-Miami. The veteran lineman has started for years up front for Texas A&M and became a cornerstone of the Aggies' offense. He has logged more than three seasons of starts at tackle, earned third-team All-SEC honors in 2024 and came into 2025 as a team captain and preseason first-team All-SEC pick. At 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds, Zuhn is also drawing NFL attention of his own. He is projected as an early-round prospect who can play tackle or slide inside at the next level.
It is truly the classic case of bulletin-board material, so we'll see if this ignites a flame in Bain, or if Zuhn and the Aggies O-line can dominate. Texas A&M is the No. 7 seed and will host No. 10 Miami at Kyle Field on Dec. 20. The winner advances to face No. 2 seed Ohio State in the quarterfinals.