Miami has two anchors “in the trenches” on the Lombardi Award preseason watch list: defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. and right tackle Francis Mauigoa. The watch list features 54 linemen and linebackers nationally.
Bain’s inclusion follows a 2024 campaign in which he was one of Miami’s top defenders despite missing four games. In nine starts he logged 23 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. Bain, who was also named to the Nagurski and Bednarik watch lists earlier this month, gives Miami a proven edge presence entering 2025.
Mauigoa started all 13 games at right tackle and helped power what Miami lists as the nation’s No. 1 offense last season. Mauigoa earned second-team All-ACC and is one of 11 offensive tackles on this year’s Lombardi watch list.
The ACC counted nine total selections on the 54-man list, with Miami’s pair joining Clemson’s Sammy Brown, Blake Miller, T.J. Parker and Peter Woods, Duke’s Brian Parker II, and Georgia Tech’s Keylan Rutledge and Pittsburgh's Kyle Louis.
The Lombardi Award honors the college lineman or linebacker who best embodies performance, leadership, character and resiliency in the spirit of Vince Lombardi. The committee can add players during the season before voting begins, and the award timeline calls for a mid-season watch-list update in October.
Full Lombardi Award Preseason Watch List
- Brady Small — Army, OC
- Paolo Gennarelli — Army, OG
- Landon Robinson — Navy, DT
- Blake Miller — Clemson, OT
- Peter Woods — Clemson, DT
- Sammy Brown — Clemson, LB
- TJ Parker — Clemson, DE
- Brian Parker II — Duke, OT
- Keylan Rutledge — Georgia Tech, OG
- Francis Mauigoa — Miami, OT
- Rueben Bain Jr. — Miami, DE
- Kyle Louis — Pittsburgh, LB
- Gabe Jacas — Illinois, LB
- Aiden Fisher — Indiana, LB
- Mikail Kamara — Indiana, DE
- Aaron Graves — Iowa, DT
- Gennings Dunker — Iowa, OT
- Logan Jones — Iowa, OC
- Max Klare — Ohio State, TE
- Sonny Styles — Ohio State, LB
- Matayo Uiagalelei — Oregon, DE
- Emmanuel Pregnon — Oregon, OG
- Olaivavega Ioane — Penn State, OT
- Zane Durant — Penn State, DT
- Dontay Corleone — Cincinnati, DT
- Jordan Seaton — Colorado, OT
- David Bailey — Texas Tech, DE
- Jacob Rodriguez — Texas Tech, LB
- Spencer Fano — Utah, OT
- Aaron Fenimore — Liberty, OC
- Billy Schrauth — Notre Dame, OG
- Kobe Stewart — Buffalo, DE
- Jordan Kwiatkowski — Central Michigan, LB
- Payton Zdroik — Air Force, DT
- Jayden Virgin-Morgan — Boise State, DE
- Kage Casey — Boise State, OT
- Jack Walsh — Wyoming, OG
- Jason Henderson — Old Dominion, LB
- Deonte Lawson — Alabama, LB
- Kaydyn Proctor — Alabama, OT
- Parker Brailsford — Alabama, OC
- Tim Keenan III — Alabama, DT
- Jake Slaughter — Florida, OC
- Earnest Greene III — Georgia, OT
- Whit Weeks — LSU, LB
- Josiah Trotter — Missouri, LB
- Suntarine Perkins — Ole Miss, DE
- R Mason Thomas — Oklahoma, DE
- Anthony Hill Jr. — Texas, LB
- Colin Simmons — Texas, DE
- DJ Campbell — Texas, OG
- Jack Endries — Texas, TE
- Trey Zuhn III — Texas A&M, OT
- Eli Stowers — Vanderbilt, TE