• Highest-graded player in the country: The Rueben Bain Jr.’s 95.8 PFF grade is the highest of any player in America right now.
• Plays for the No. 1 team: Bain suits up for the Miami Hurricanes, who are the new top-ranked team in the PFF top-25. 
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Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

By definition, the Heisman Trophy is supposed to go to “the most outstanding player in college football.” Yet, it’s been mostly a quarterback award in its history, especially in the 21st century. Of the 25 winners of the bronze stiff-arm since 2000, only five have been non-quarterbacks. It’s why 21 of the top-22 favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook are signal-callers, and the lone exception is Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who’s tied for fifth (+1400). 

Someone who isn’t even among the 74 players listed by DraftKings is Miami edge defender Rueben Bain Jr., who should be the Heisman favorite after the first month of the season. He fits all of the usual requirements for the usual Heisman Trophy winner.

First, he’s been an incredibly dominant player. The junior’s 95.8 PFF grade isn’t just the best of all edge rushers in the country; it’s the best overall grade by any player, regardless of position. Bain has yet to grade below a 90.0 at any point this season, despite facing some strong offensive lines like Florida and Notre Dame. He’s the only edge defender in America with 90.0-plus grades both as a run defender and as a pass-rusher, and his 29.7% pass-rush win rate is the fourth-best in that same group. Bain’s two forced fumbles are tied for the most in the country, his five tackles for loss/no-gain are tied for third, and he’s one of only eight edge defenders who have caught an interception this season. He also has 17 plays where he’s made first contact on the ball-carrier, tied for the most among Power Four edge rushers. There have been two edge defenders who were Heisman finalists in the PFF College era, and their grades are pretty similar to the one Bain has right now.

Rueben Bain Jr. against previous Heisman finalists at edge defender in the PFF College era (since 2014)

Second, he plays for one of the best teams in the country. The Hurricanes are the new No. 1 team in PFF’s top-25 with an already impressive resume. Miami is 4-0 and has beaten two schools that are still in our top 25 in USF and Notre Dame in addition to having a win over Florida under its belt too. The Hurricanes aren’t just the new favorite to win the ACC; they have a legitimate chance to claim their first national championship in 24 years.

Finally, Bain has the storyline going for him as well. While Miami quarterback Carson Beck is putting up his own Heisman campaign, the story of the Hurricanes has been their dominance along the defensive line. Miami fields the highest-graded defensive line in college football right now (93.5) and is the only school in the FBS to place inside the top five of both team pass-rush grade (second) and run-defense grade (third). Two schools that came into the season with one of our top-10 offensive lines in the country, Notre Dame and Florida, could only muster team 25.6 and 11.8 pass-blocking grades against the Hurricanes. And the Hurricanes aren’t confusing offenses with exotic stunts either, as their 9% stunt rate is the lowest in the entire FBS. 

Bain has the production, team success and storyline that every Heisman winner in the past has had. He’s easily the most outstanding player in college football so far, which is what the award is designed to recognize. While Bain doesn’t play quarterback, he’s the living nightmare of every quarterback who has the misfortune of dropping back against him.