University of Miami defensive lineman
Rueben Bain Jr. has been named the 2025 recipient of the Ted Hendricks Award, presented annually to the nation’s top defensive end, as announced by the Ted Hendricks Foundation on Wednesday.
Bain is the first Miami Hurricanes player to earn the award, which honors excellence at the defensive end position and is named after Hall of Famer and University of Miami alumnus Ted Hendricks.
Bain completed an incredible 2025-26 season in which he appeared in all 16 games, making 54 total tackles, including 30 solo stops, while adding 15.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks. He also recorded one interception, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and two pass breakups, helping the Hurricanes win a program record 13 games.
His strongest performance came on the sport’s biggest stage, as Bain posted a season-high eight tackles, five solo stops, 2.5 tackles for loss and one sack in the College Football Playoff National Championship game against Indiana.
Over his three-year career at Miami, Bain played in 38 games with 36 starts, totaling 121 tackles, 67 solo tackles, 33.5 tackles for loss and 20.5 sacks. He added four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, one interception and three pass breakups during his collegiate career.
Earlier this postseason, Bain was named the 2025 ACC Defensive Player of the Year and earned consensus First Team All-America honors. He was also a finalist for the Lott Impact Trophy following the 2025 season.
The Ted Hendricks Award is named in honor of former Miami standout Ted Hendricks, the only Hurricane to have his number retired and be inducted into both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Hendricks was Miami’s first College Football Hall of Fame inductee in 1986 and remains the program’s only three-time All-American (1966, 1967, 1968). He later enjoyed a distinguished NFL career, winning four Super Bowl championships and earning induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990.
