As the NFL Combine approaches and the Super Bowl looms large this weekend, one name drawing serious buzz among scouts and insiders is Miami Hurricanes edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. And if you ask someone who’s lined up next to him, the hype is very real.
Leonard Taylor III, a former Hurricanes standout and current New England Patriots practice squad interior lineman, didn’t hold back when asked about Bain Jr. during Super Bowl Media Day on Monday. “He’s an elite player,” Taylor said.
“He’s going to give you 100 percent every single day. He’s coachable, great in the locker room, and a team player.
At the end of the day, he wants to help the team win.”
That’s high praise coming from a guy who’s seen Bain’s growth up close. Taylor, who played three seasons at Miami and racked up 23.5 tackles for loss and six sacks in 31 games, was a junior when Bain arrived on campus.
It didn’t take long for him to recognize the potential. “This kid has some speed to him,” Taylor added.
“I saw how he was able to bend the edges, and I was like, ‘We got one right here.’”
That early promise turned into dominance in 2025. Bain Jr. didn’t just play well - he played like a future star.
Starting all 16 games, he posted 54 total tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, and 9.5 sacks. He also forced a fumble, broke up a pass, defended two more, and even picked off a pass - a rare stat line for a defensive end and a testament to his all-around impact.
The accolades followed. Bain Jr. was named the 2025 Ted Hendricks Award winner, given annually to the nation’s top defensive end. He also earned ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors and was a First-Team All-ACC selection - all before his 22nd birthday.
Now, with the Combine set to run from February 23 to March 2 in Indianapolis, Bain’s stock is soaring. He’s widely projected as an early first-round pick, and some mock drafts have him landing with the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 10 overall - a tantalizing thought for a defense that already made waves this past season.
Bain isn’t the only Hurricane drawing first-round buzz. Miami continues to churn out NFL-ready talent, with edge rusher Akheem Mesidor and right tackle Francis Mauigoa also projected to go early. And of course, the program is still riding high after quarterback Cam Ward went first overall in the 2025 draft.
For Bain, though, the next few months are all about showing NFL teams what Leonard Taylor and the rest of the Miami locker room already know: He’s built for this. Speed off the edge, the ability to dip and bend around tackles, a relentless motor, and a team-first mindset - it’s the kind of package that gets general managers excited and offensive coordinators nervous.
We’ll get another look at Bain’s elite traits in Indianapolis, and then all eyes shift to Pittsburgh for the NFL Draft, with Round 1 kicking off on April 23. If his college career is any indication, Bain Jr. won’t just be another name called early - he’ll be one to remember.