Hurricanes star freshman Rueben Bain Jr. named ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year

Hurricanes defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. blossomed into a star in his first year of college football, and the fan favorite earned recognition for that Wednesday.

Bain, a Miami native, was named the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year. The award comes a day after he was picked to the All-ACC third team. 

Bain is the third Hurricane to win the award, joining defensive lineman Greg Rousseau (2019) and linebacker Sean Spence (2008).

N.C. State wide receiver K.C. Concepcion was named the offensive rookie of the year and the conference’s overall rookie of the year.

Bain starred at Miami Central and earned the Nat Moore Award, committing to Miami at the December award ceremony. 

In his first year with the Hurricanes, Bain racked up 37 tackles, which led Miami defensive linemen, and finished second on the team with 9.5 tackles for loss with 9.5. He tied for the team lead with 7.5 sacks.