In the buildup to the College Football Playoff showdown between Texas A&M and Miami, Aggies offensive lineman Trey Zuhn made headlines for all the wrong reasons. His pregame comments about Miami’s star edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. - a projected top-10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft - were bold, to say the least. According to Zuhn, Bain wasn’t “a threat,” and A&M didn’t need to worry about him “too much.”
Well, Bain heard the noise. And then he made plenty of his own - on the field and off it.
In Miami’s gritty 10-3 win over the Aggies, Bain didn’t just show up - he dominated. The sophomore edge rusher was a nightmare for A&M’s offensive line, racking up 3 sacks, 4 tackles for loss, and 5 total tackles. He lived in the backfield, and by the time the final whistle blew, it was clear: Bain wasn’t just a threat - he was the problem.
Miami’s defensive front as a whole was relentless. The Hurricanes sacked A&M quarterback Marcel Reed seven times and forced three turnovers, turning what had been one of the SEC’s most stable offensive lines into a unit scrambling for answers.
For context, A&M had allowed just 12 sacks across their previous 12 games. They gave up more than half that total in one afternoon.
Bain’s performance wasn’t just about stats - it was about tone. From the opening snap, he set it.
Fast, physical, and fueled by a little extra motivation, he played like a man on a mission. And after the game, he didn’t hold back.
In a now-viral Instagram Live video, Bain let loose on the Aggies, calling out Zuhn by jersey number and taking direct aim at A&M head coach Mike Elko. It was raw, emotional, and unfiltered - the kind of postgame outburst that only comes when a player feels like he’s backed up every word with his play.
The Hurricanes didn’t just win the game - they won the battle in the trenches. And Bain, who entered the matchup as one of the ACC’s premier pass rushers, left it with his national profile elevated even further. He didn’t need the bulletin board material to bring his A-game - but it sure didn’t hurt.
As for Texas A&M, it’s a tough lesson in what happens when words get ahead of execution. Bain was always going to be a handful.
Giving him extra fuel? That just made the fire burn hotter.