Rueben Bain Jr., other 2026 NFL Draft prospects to know in Miami-Ohio State Playoff game
SOURCE:The Athletic|BY:Dane Brugler
Wednesday night's matchup may not have the talent level of the 2003 Miami-Ohio State classic, but it's plenty loaded with NFL prospects.
The Cotton Bowl brings us a rematch of the legendary 2003 national championship game, when Miami and Ohio State had a 20 combined future first-round draft picks on the field.
Though this year’s showdown is unlikely to reach that number, there are double-digit first-round talents playing in this Miami-Ohio State showdown, and dozens more who will be drafted and have NFL careers.
Here are some NFL Draft notes for Wednesday night’s game:
1. If the Hurricanes pull the upset, their pass rush — specifically, the edge rushers — will be the difference.
The combination of Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor has been a problem for offensive lines all season, and it produced 19 pressures against Texas A&M in the opening round of the College Football Playoff.
Meanwhile, Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin was sacked just eight times in 12 regular-season games, but Indiana’s pass rush turned up the heat in the Big Ten Championship Game. The Hoosiers converted 12 pressures into five sacks of Sayin.
A few weeks ago, I got the ball rolling on a divisive topic: Bain is a polarizing prospect among NFL scouts, mostly because of his body type and the way he wins as a pass rusher. He stands 6-foot-2 and 277 pounds with 30 3/4-inch arms, so some scouts project him inside as a three-technique while others see a base end. Some grade him in Round 1; others aren’t as optimistic. The first-round microscope is often merciless and stringent.
"I was maybe a little surprised how many Day 2 grades there are around the league on Rueben Bain."@dpbrugler on the possibility of Bain falling out of the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. pic.twitter.com/1POCbznq1v
Let me be clear: That doesn’t mean Bain isn’t a good prospect (quite the contrary). But his evaluation is complicated. I believe Bain will be drafted in the first round — there aren’t 32 more impactful players in the draft. I was underwhelmed with Bain’s tape at times this season, especially in losses to Louisville and SMU, but his power and relentless motor directly lead to disruption. Those traits will be essential in getting the Buckeyes’ offense off schedule.
As for Mesidor, the super senior teased impact-level play but struggled with consistency in previous years, and foot injuries derailed his 2023 season and parts of 2024. Now healthy again, the native of Canada is playing his best ball (55 pressures in 12 games). Bain finished with more sacks against Texas A&M, but Mesidor was more impressive on tape and had a greater impact. He is a more diverse pass rusher than Bain, and you feel his active play style on every snap.
Entering the season, Mesidor was projected as a late-round prospect. If the medicals are clean, though, he has put himself in the early-round mix.
2. The only FBS team to allow four or fewer rushing touchdowns this season, Ohio State has one of the best run defenses in the country.
With his football IQ, athleticism and toughness, safety Caleb Downs is the total package. At linebacker, Sonny Styles is a physical freak who is playing faster and more physical in 2025 and doesn’t miss tackles (he literally hasn’t missed a tackle in 13 games this season, according to PFF). Box-score scouts are disappointed that hybrid linebacker Arvel Reese, who will be one of the first players drafted in April, doesn’t have more sack production — but that isn’t what Ohio State asks him to do. His value is that he can be whatever you need him to be, and Matt Patricia has capitalized on his ability to spy and shut down the edges.
However, the most underrated part of the Buckeyes’ run-game dominance this season has been nose tackle Kayden McDonald. At 330 pounds, he moves light on his feet to shut down inside runs, and he resets the line of scrimmage with power behind his hands. McDonald has joined Downs, Styles and Reese as a first-round prospect for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Featuring variations of inside/outside zone and gap duo, Miami’s run game has been inconsistent this season. Junior running back Mark Fletcher is averaging 5.4 yards per carry, though, and the Hurricanes wouldn’t have beaten the Aggies without his 172 rushing yards. A former Ohio State recruit, Fletcher will upgrade the running back group in this year’s draft class if he decides to declare.
3. Can Miami protect quarterback Carson Beck?
Right tackle Francis Mauigoa has been one of the most consistent blockers in college football this season, which is why he is a projected top-20 pick.
Left tackle Markel Bell is a massive dude — a verified 6-9, 348 with 36 1/2-inch arms. Most players that size can lose balance out in space, and Bell is no exception, although he has improved his ability to translate power from his lower half and finish blocks. Bell, who has yet to allow a sack in 2025, is now considered a Day 3 prospect by NFL teams.
Ohio State is much more diverse with its fronts, including the way it aligns its edge rushers. Similar in ways to Bain, Caden Curry has shorter arms (30 3/4 inches), but he leverages his rush with heavy hands and a motor that doesn’t quit. He leads the Buckeyes with 11.0 sacks and has gone from fringe “draftable” territory to potentially being a mid-round pick with his play in 2025.
For a DL with shorter arms (under 31"), Caden Curry is quick to get into the frame of blockers and use his grip strength to shed.
Curry had mostly PFA grades from scouts over the summer, but his motor and versatility across the DL will get him drafted. pic.twitter.com/YnGlypiJeL
Long, strong and athletic, Kenyatta Jackson Jr. has the versatility to line up on the edge or move inside as a “4i” in penny fronts. Because of the impact he’s had, he will have an NFL decision to make after the season. (NFL scout: “Give him one more year to figure things out, and he’ll become a first-rounder.”)
4. An underrated prospect matchup: Miami’s safeties versus Ohio State’s tight ends.
The Hurricanes’ Keionte Scott looks like a cornerback, but plays like a linebacker. His closing speed and competitive toughness, along with his ability to make himself small to avoid blockers, jump off the film. The Auburn transfer quickly became a difference-maker for Miami this season, and his impact was obvious against Texas A&M, especially after he’d missed the previous month with an injury.
Although not as well-known, Miami safety Jakobe Thomas has put himself in “draftable” territory, as well.
The Ohio State offense has used multiple tight ends 54.8 percent of the time this season, the second-highest rate in the FBS behind only Iowa State. With a tight end duo of Max Klare and Will Kacmarek, it is understandable why Ryan Day wants both players on the field as much as possible.
Despite a decline in receiving production from last season at Purdue, Klare is considered a Day 2 NFL prospect because of his mismatch potential when targeted. Kacmarek (12 catches in 13 games) isn’t a proven pass-catching threat, but he doesn’t drop the ball when targeted and is an asset as a blocker. Don’t be surprised when he is drafted in the mid-rounds by a team looking for his specific skill set (like Buffalo Bills’ tight end Jackson Hawes, a fifth-rounder last year).