A physical Maryland linebacker and former high school state champion who broke into the league on special teams as a Bears rookie.
Ruben Hyppolite II built his reputation at Maryland as a tackling machine who never missed a beat, then carried that reliability to Chicago as a fourth-round pick in 2025. His rookie season was a special-teams apprenticeship more than a defensive showcase, the kind of foundation-laying year the Bears hope pays off down the line.
Path to the league
Hyppolite played five seasons at Maryland (2020-24), appearing in 51 games and totaling 236 tackles, three sacks, one interception, six passes defensed and a forced fumble. The Bears selected him 132nd overall in the fourth round of the 2025 draft, a pick acquired in a trade with the Buffalo Bills.
Career highlights
Hyppolite posted a career-high 66 tackles in 2024, leading Maryland's defense, and earned Honorable Mention All-Big Ten honors that season after being a team captain and Third Team All-Big Ten selection in 2023. A Fort Lauderdale, Florida native, he helped McArthur High School win two state championships before college.
2025 season recap
Hyppolite played seven games as a rookie, seeing 31 defensive snaps and 82 special teams snaps while recording two solo tackles, with a season-high three tackles coming in the Week 1 loss to Minnesota. It was largely a redshirt-style year focused on special teams, where he became a steady contributor on coverage units.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Ruben Hyppolite II
- Pro Football Reference: Ruben Hyppolite II
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Defense
7 games played▶Defense · career
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | FF | FR | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | bears | 7 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Linebacker
- Group
- defense
- College
- Maryland
- Hometown
- Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
- Age
- 24
- Status
- active
