MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Miami defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. was named the 2025 Ted Hendricks Award winner on Wednesday, becoming the first Hurricanes player to receive the honor given annually to the nation’s top defensive end.
The award is presented by the Ted Hendricks Foundation and is named for the former Miami standout and Pro Football Hall of Famer.
Bain capped a dominant 2025–26 season by playing in all 16 games and recording 54 tackles, including 30 solo stops.
He added 15.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, one interception, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and two pass breakups, helping Miami post a program-record 13 wins.
Bain’s best performance came in the College Football Playoff National Championship against Indiana, when he totaled eight tackles, five solo, 2.5 tackles for loss and one sack.
Over three seasons with the Hurricanes, Bain appeared in 38 games with 36 starts, finishing his career with 121 tackles, 67 solo tackles, 33.5 tackles for loss and 20.5 sacks.
He also totaled four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, one interception and three pass breakups.
Earlier this postseason, Bain was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year, earned consensus first-team All-America honors and was a finalist for the Lott Impact Trophy.
He is projected to be a Top 10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
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