Following a season of wreaking havoc in college football, the sting of Miami’s National Championship loss is only getting worse, as star defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. is now taking his talents to the NFL. He may have raised the bar for defensive excellence, prompting all 32 NFL teams to reconsider their draft strategies.

“Rueben Bain Jr finished with 83 QB Pressures in 2025,” tweeted PFF College. “Tied for the MOST EVER in a Season in the PFF College Era (Since 2014).”

The final chapter ended in heartbreak, with Miami dropping a 27-21 thriller to No. 1 Indiana at home. But the Hurricanes’ CFP journey was nothing short of electric. Cristobal’s crew stunned Texas A&M on the road, then took down Ohio State and Ole Miss on neutral fields to storm into the national title game.

Leading the charge was star defensive end Bain, the tone-setter for a Miami defensive line that powered the Hurricanes’ CFP run. The Canes’ front four wrecked game plans against Texas A&M and Ohio State and held their own against Indiana, even as the title slipped away.

Bain didn’t just pressure quarterbacks; he finished them off, racking up 9.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss that consistently killed drives. Given PFF’s recognition, Bain’s 83 quarterback pressures show he consistently forces quarterbacks into errors on nearly every play, not just sporadically. This means he has a rare ability to beat blockers quickly and consistently.

Bain’s genius lies in his pre-snap reads and explosive first step, consistently outsmarting blocking schemes and timing his rush to perfection. In Cristobal’s squad, the friendly on-team competition with Akheem Mesidor propelled the 6’3″, 270-pounder to a new level of dominance.

“I think it’s healthy competition is what it is,” said the Miami head coach. “There’s nothing better than when you have someone to compete with on your team at the same position that you really, really like and love. It’s a great driving force and a great driving factor.”

Miami’s first playoff test in the CFP era turned into a defensive showcase, as the two stars piled up 4.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss versus Texas A&M. Even without a first-half sack, Bain dictated the tempo during the Natty run. His pressure consistently disrupted Fernando Mendoza, shrinking Indiana’s passing game and holding them to 6.8 yards per completion, 2.7 yards shy of their usual output.

Now that his college chapter ended on a high note, what are the probable landing spots for Bain Jr. in the NFL?

Rueben Bain Jr. mock draft

When April’s NFL Draft arrives, Bain is expected to hear his name early, capping a meteoric three-year college run. Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski even tagged him as one of the rare prospects capable of “redefining an NFL defense.”

While Bain lacks prototypical size and bulk for an NFL edge and had moments where getting off blocks was an issue, Tony Pauline of EssentiallySports believes he can be a difference-maker in a properly deployed four-man front.

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Over the past two decades, only four times has a defensive player gone No. 1 overall, and each time, it was a defensive end: Mario Williams in 2006, Jadeveon Clowney in 2014, Myles Garrett in 2017, and Travon Walker in 2022.

Bain’s stock is climbing fast. ESPN’s Jordan Reid has him landing with the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 9, and USA Today’s Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz sends him to the Washington Commanders at No. 6 in his latest mock. 

Pauline’s draft board puts Rueben Bain Jr. at No.5. Could this record-tying performance push him even higher up draft boards?