ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. recognizes four Miami players in initial 2026 NFL Draft Big Board

It's not quite NFL Draft season, but one of the biggest personalities in coverage of the event has released his first Big Board on Tuesday morning.

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. has been involved in draft coverage for over 40 years and shared his personal evaluation of prospects at the midway point of the 2025 college football season.

Kiper released his Top 25 players at this stage of the process. Two Miami Hurricanes were featured.

Defensive end Rueben Bain debuted as the No. 9 overall draft prospect, according to Kiper, and the No. 1-ranked defensive end.

"Bain is powerful and has really strong hands," Kiper wrote on ESPN. "He routinely gets the best of some very good offensive tackles, often with his dominant rip move, and he knows every trick in the book in getting home to the QB. Bain also shows speed and bend off the edge, and he takes good angles. Plus, he can hold the edge against the run and get off blocks to chase down ball carriers. His tape is just filled with disruption.

"But even with all those A-level traits, it's actually Bain's hustle that really stands out to me. He never takes a play off and fires at the ball on every play. His arms are shorter than most scouts prefer, but there's so much to like with his game. Opponents have to account for him in their game plans, and he can keep them guessing even then with his inside-outside flexibility."

Offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa is the No. 18 prospect and No. 2 offensive tackle for Kiper.

"Here's a true mauler" Kiper said. Mauigoa is fun to watch for the way he just destroys pass rushers at the point of attack. He has more than 2,000 snaps at right tackle and has the pass protection skill to stick there, but he could absolutely slide inside and become a Pro Bowl-caliber guard at the next level. Mauigoa has allowed one sack and blown only five run blocks since the start of last season.

Related: CBS Sports names four Miami Hurricanes Midseason All-Americans.

Outside of the Top 25, Kiper also released his top ten players at every position. Two more Miami players were featured: quarterback Carson Beck and defensive end Akheem Mesidor.

Beck is considered the No. 6 quarterback for Kiper, while Mesidor is the No. 3 defensive end. Beck has thrown for 1213 yards and 11 touchdowns to three interceptions this season, while Mesidor has a team-leading five tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks, generating 24 quarterback pressures through five games.

The Hurricanes are up to No. 2 in the AP Poll following a 5-0 start. Miami will take on Louisville (4-1, 1-1) on Friday night at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Click here to read article