Shutterstock
The Miami Hurricanes came within striking distance of a national championship, powered by absolute dominance in the trenches. Their O-line was elite, and the defensive front featured two absolute game-changers in Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor. As the ‘Canes look ahead to 2026, fans are wondering if they can maintain that same physical dominance after losing key players to the NFL.
Bain and Mesidor are both heading to Sundays, while star tackle Francis Mauigoa is also departing. But before Hurricane fans start worrying too much, Bain himself offered some serious optimism in a recent interview with CBS Miami. When asked about the future of Miami’s D-line without him and Mesidor, Bain didn’t just predict they’d be fine — he thinks they might be even better.
“I feel like they might be better than this year, because they got to see me and Akeem lead em off and show em what it’s supposed to look like,” Bain explained. “Now they got that extra chip on their shoulder from getting all the way to the dance and not finishing like we wanted to. So now they get some extra fuel, some extra drive to go in next year with the right mindset and get the job done.”
That’s a bold prediction.
Bain believes the unit’s depth will keep Miami right in the Playoff hunt next season. He noted that only himself, Mesidor and David Blay are leaving. The problem? Those three were among Miami’s four most productive defensive linemen. Getting Ahmad Moten to stay for 2026 was a massive win for Mario Cristobal’s program.
The production won’t be easy to replace. Mesidor and Bain combined for 22 sacks — nearly half of the team’s total of 50. While Moten and linebacker Mohamed Toure return, filling those edge-rushing shoes presents a significant challenge. Jason Taylor — yes, that Jason Taylor — has worked wonders as the defensive line coach, developing Bain and Mesidor into first-round talents. Now he’ll need to find and develop the next generation of Hurricane pass rushers.
The Bain Effect
Those of us outside the program might reasonably doubt whether you can simply replace that kind of elite talent overnight. But Bain clearly believes in his former teammates to carry the torch and keep Miami in the national title conversation.
If he’s right — if this D-line somehow outperforms this year’s exceptional unit — the Hurricanes should find themselves right back atop the ACC and in the Playoff picture again. That’s a big “if,” but Bain’s confidence in the program’s future suggests Miami’s defensive dominance might not be going anywhere.
