Rueben Bain did not waste any time making an impression in Tampa Bay.
The former Hurricane has already caught the attention of Buccaneers coaches after offseason workouts and rookie minicamp, with run game coordinator and outside linebackers coach Larry Foote among the most vocal about what he has seen from the first-round pick selected 15th overall in April.
“If you had to bet, he's going to be a star,” Foote said. “Just the way he plays the game is explosive, plays with great leverage and it's hard to block those types of guys.
Back in my Pittsburgh days, I played with a guy, James Harrision, and you just couldn't block him. And he has that trait, he has that ability.”
Foote said the excitement goes beyond Bain’s burst and power. What stood out just as much was the way he carries himself.
“I'm more impressed with his mindset,” Foote said. “And I got a little feel for that what we interviewed him at the combine.
He has that Lavonte David focus. That area down in Miami, them guys are just-Jesus is 1A and football is 1B-and them guys love ball.
Even when it's break time, he ain't pulling his phone out like the rest of them. He's all about ball so I'm excited to have him.”
Head coach Todd Bowles has had the same kind of reaction. Ahead of minicamp, Bowles pointed to Bain’s feel for the game as a major reason the rookie has stood out.
“For me, it's probably his intelligence, just his understanding of the game,” Bowles said. “Some things you can't teach.
He doesn't learn the game like a normal rookie. He does natural things that a three or four-year guy can do.
And that's good to see.”
Foote also remembered a moment from the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis that left a mark on the staff.
“He knew everything on the tape,” Foote said. “He knew everybody's responsibility and he was just an above-the-neck guy.
He told you what the linebacker had, the guys on the inside, he knew the coverage, he remembered the plays. Got that high def, just very impressive.
As soon as he left, everybody stood up and just shook their head.”
That first impression carried over to rookie minicamp, where Bain flashed the pass-rushing ability that made him such a high draft pick.
“Nobody could block him,” Foote said. “That was expected.
He hustled to the ball-you've seen that all throughout the tape. He loves ball.
He's all about ball and has been playing since he was four years old.”
Bowles said the Buccaneers are hoping Bain and former Hurricane Al-Quadin Muhammad can help create pressure with the front four.
“That is our hope,” Bowles said.
Muhammad, 31, joined the team on a one-year, $4 million contract after spending the previous two seasons with the Detroit Lions. Bowles said his arrival, along with Bain’s and the rest of the group, gives Tampa Bay a level of depth it has not had in some time.
“He brings a lot of depth to that position, more than we've had in a while,” Bowles said. “Obviously with Bain and Muhammad, Yaya, Nelly, Braz and David Walker coming back and the other young guys that we have here, we hadn't had that kind of depth in a long time, so they're really pushing each other. It should be fun to see in camp.”
Bain and the Buccaneers are set to open training camp on July 27.
In Other News...
Miami Has A 2026 Problem After Leaning On Key Stars Too Hard
Miamis run to the College Football Playoff title game gave the program a lot to celebrate, but it also left behind a quieter question for 2026: how much mileage did the Hurricanes put on a few cornerstone players along the way? Malachi Toney, Mohamed Toure, Zechariah Poyser and Mark Fletcher Jr. were all central to that 16-game march, and the demands of carrying such a long season are part of the backdrop now as Miami looks ahead.
The good news for the Hurricanes is that the roster picture should look different next fall, with transfers and returning pieces expected to help spread the workload. Still, the value of those stars comes with a physical cost, and Miami has to balance what they already gave the team against what it will ask of them next, especially with so much of the lineup coming off extended use and deep-season experience. [Read more 🡒]
Miami QB Room Ranked Behind Programs Hurricanes Fans Wont Respect
Miamis quarterback room got a respectable national nod, but not one that feels likely to sit well in Coral Gables. CBS Sports placed the Hurricanes at No. 8 in its latest quarterback-room rankings, a spot that acknowledges the mix of experience and depth but still leaves room for an argument that this group belongs a little higher. Darian Mensah gives the room a clear headliner, and the overall makeup reflects how Mario Cristobal has leaned into the transfer market to stabilize the position.
The bigger appeal for Miami is that the conversation does not stop with the starter. The room also includes Luke Nickel, Dereon Coleman, Judd Anderson, Joe Borchers and Vinny Gonzalez, giving the Hurricanes a deeper collection of scholarship options than many teams can claim. That is part of why Miami can make a case for more than a middle-top-10 designation, especially in a year when quarterback depth matters as much as the name at the top of the chart. [Read more 🡒]