Miami Hurricanes DL Rueben Bain made big strength gains that helped pay off with huge season: “The hard work paid off”
Miami Hurricanes DL Rueben Bain’s enjoyed quite the true freshman season, earning ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors after logging 37 tackles, 9.5 tackles for losses and tying for the team lead with 7.5 sacks. He’s the third Cane to earn the honor, joining Gregory Rousseau in 2019 and Sean Spence in 2008.
Someone that saw that ACC honor coming a while ago? Miami coach Mario Cristobal. Bain recalled how after he committed that Cristobal told him that “once I get here we’re going to do what we do and in December I’d be flying to Charlotte to accept an award,” Bain said during a Miami in-house interview.
Cristobal also gave Bain a little scare before informing him that he’d be getting some conference hardware. Cristobal told the star DL that he had to call Bain’s parents.
“I thought I was in trouble, my mind just went blank,” Bain said.
His reaction to finding out it was because he won Rookie of the Year?
“It feels good, something I’ve been thinking about for a while,” Bain said. “Looking back on it, the hard work paid off. This is one of the goals I had (from) when I signed the letter of intent to come to Miami.”
Who was happier about him winning ACC Rookie of the Year, Bain or mom?
“I think it was a tie,” Bain says.
Overall Bain’s strong play is well noted by Pro Football Focus, as he graded out at an excellent 78.9 percent with an 85.1 pass rush grade. PFF noted him with a team-high 42 QB pressures (No. 2 on the team was LB Francisco Mauigoa with 26). Bain also had nine hits on QB, also most on the team.
He was a big reason Miami thrived on offense in year 1 of the Lance Guidry attack. UM ranks No. 26 in the nation in total defense (up from No. 64 last year), No. 39 in scoring defense (from 66th), No. 10 in rush defense (from No. 54) and No. 37 in team passing efficiency defense (from No. 102).
Bain joins Miami RT Francis Mauigoa as On3 Freshmen All-Americans.
Bain says the message he’s gotten from DL coach Jason Taylor is simple.
“Stay humble, remain coachable,” Bain said.
Bain arrived at Miami at 6-2 1/2 and 270 pounds in January, and he put on 12 pounds as a freshman.
A lot of it was muscle. His bench in high school was 275, and at UM it’s up to 415 “and I felt I could have got more,” he says. His squat was 525 in high school and was 535 at preseason Miami testing “but they didn’t let me go up (higher).”
“My strength jumped up crazy numbers,” Bain says.
A final question is posed to Bain.
What does he see in Miami’s future?
“The national championship,” he says.
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