Just Watch The Film: Rueben Bain, Jr. Makes Plays
The Miami Hurricanes possess a defense that loves to get after the quarterback. A big part of that would be true freshman Rueben Bain, Jr.. In conjunction with how the Canes coaches operate an aggressive scheme, he's been dominant, especially the past couple of games.
Here are key statistics about Bain, thoughts about his game in general, followed by thoughts and notes about defensive coordinator Lance Guidry, prior to a bigger overview of Bain's talent via a video breakdown.
2023 Statistics: 19 tackles, 4.5 sacks (leads Miami), 5 tackles for loss (3rd on the Hurricanes), 2 quarterback hurries, and 2 forced fumbles.
By now, Canes fans know that the former Miami (Fla.) Central star is a tremendous fit for Guidry's multiple-layered defensive scheme. He likes to mix it up with a four-man look much of the time, but against Clemson, he went with a 3-3-5 look. The key component to Bain's success is not that he can physically handle the change, but mentally.
As someone who still enjoys watching Bain's tape while he was a Rocket, and also knows Bain well enough to know that he possesses a very high football IQ, these multiple looks are not hard for him to adjust to. He's such a competitor that he's going to learn what he needs to learn to make plays.
Clemson's offensive line certainly found that out this past Oct. 21. Now, here's the fun part of all this. Bain is only getting started. He's still a true freshman. With Guidry and the Hurricanes defensive staff, Bain is going to continue to soak up all the information he can. Look for more new looks that stymie the competition by formation, and for Bain to pad his statistics along the way.
Now here are my additional thoughts about Bain and what he brings to the Hurricanes:
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Fan Nation High school football recruiting analyst covering the state of Florida, as well as across the Southeastern United States and the state of Texas.