Former Miami EDGE Rueben Bain Jr. has been a hot topic of conversation leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft due to his outlier arm length and concerns about his transition. Bain made headlines once again over the weekend, and this time for a much more serious reason. 

The talented pass rusher was named as a person of interest in a car accident dating back to March 17, 2024, which was first reported by Ollie Connolly of The Read-Optional Substack, and confirmed by A to Z Sports. That incident also involved Miami linebacker Wesley Bissainthe and UCF Edge Nyjalik Kelly, who were all teammates on the Hurricanes at the time. Destiny Betts, along with one other female passenger, were involved in the accident. 

Betts, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, was left in a coma by the accident in which Bain was the alleged driver of the vehicle. She later died on June 13, 2024 due to injuries, according to Connolly. 

There was a GoFundMe for the Betts’ family, but it was paused before the goal was reached. 

This wasn’t the only driving incident that Bain was a part of while with the Miami program. On top of the 2024 crash, Bain Jr. was cited a second time for ‘careless driving’ back in October of 2025, which was reported by Outkick senior national college sports reporter Trey Wallace. That was also later dismissed. 

Projected Top-10 NFL Draft prospect Rueben Bain Jr. cited for ‘careless driving’ in 2024 crash that involved a passengers death.

Also, Bain Jr. was cited a second time for ‘careless driving’ in October 2025 incident that was also later dismissed. https://t.co/znZSsOdskc

— Trey Wallace (@TreyWallace) April 12, 2026

As if the draft process wasn’t daunting enough and countless questions weren’t already being asked, this latest piece of news will require even more answers for the Bain camp to provide answers for. While this information was already known in league circles, this is the public’s first taste of the information. The next 11 days, and beyond, will be filled with this recent news. 

Uneasy feeling around the NFL 

After the A to Z Sports staff became aware of the Bain news, conversations began with league sources dealing directly with this situation. 

That includes a conversation with one particular AFC West team that is aware of the situation. That team has Bain off the board altogether. The aforementioned “arm outlier stuff” would have been used as an excuse to not draft him early if this accident had not been reported before the draft.

Another source from an NFC South team told A to Z Sports that they are also aware of the incident. As of now, they have his name “flipped over on their board”, meaning that he is close to being off the board altogether. There’s the potential that they could consider him with their first round selection, explaining that the talent might be too good to pass up on. 

There’s another NFC South team that shares a similar opinion, although it’s unlikely they would even have a chance to take Bain. The talent is extremely desirable but there is a lot of hesitation with the situation, and lack of comfort so far through the process. 

A to Z Sports has also been able to confirm with another AFC team that the team is unlikely to consider Bain when he is on the board at their first round pick. That particular organization was unlikely to consider him where they are currently selecting based solely on his outlier profile. It’s hard to imagine that this additional information will help his case.

CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones weighed in after the news dropped from Connolly. According to Jones, teams have “been satisfied with Bain’s explanation. Most have considered the matter handled.” That very well could be true, but as of now, the A to Z Sports staff hasn’t spoken with any teams that are fully comfortable with the situation. 

Cory Kinnan from the Daft on Draft substack reached out directly to the Betts’ family lawyer. Here was the statement directly from their family regarding the incident. 

I had been in contact with Betts family lawyer. It was their wishes that any story I was working on not be published until after the draft.

Here is a statement from the family (same one in Ollie's article + 2 paragraphs) pic.twitter.com/gv9MvgxZYO

— Cory (@fakecorykinnan) April 12, 2026

Even more question marks for Bain 

If you frequent mock drafts this time of the year, most have seen Bain’s name consistent inside of the top-10 selections. The 6-2, 260-pound defensive end has seen his name begin to trickle further down, and sometimes landing outside of that top-10 picks. Based on Bain’s 2025 film, which included 15.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks, there is little question about his talents as a football player. 

With arms that are under 31 inches, however, Bain is a historical outlier for the type of EDGE defender who has had any success in the NFL. With these teams investing millions of dollars in these types of early round selections, it’s understandable why there would be some hesitation about investing in an outlier. That’s a fascinating conversation to be a part of. 

Outside of Bain convincing teams that the outlier size and physical profile won’t be a hindrance, he must now also ease their minds of this incident. There is also another potential hurdle that Bain might need to find a way over in the future, according to Connolly in his piece. It is uncertain when and if that additional news could come out. 

For now, calming any uncertainty of his past and getting excited about the potential future are the main priority.