Chicago Bears rookie linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II spent five seasons at the University of Maryland. He led the Terrapins in tackles in his final season with the program.
And yet, questions emerged about Hyppolite’s production, even before the Bears made him the No. 132 overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Bears LB Ruben Hyppolite II Addresses Pre-Draft Question Mark
Ruben Hyppolite Looking Forward to Bears Tenure
Hyppolite was asked directly about those questions, and a prospect Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen praised for having “his life together off the field” gave a response that reflected those sentiments.
“Yeah, I played Mike and Will in college. We had a great D-line my entire career there. So, big boys ate a lot when I was playing. But I was just about – it was about me just being a leader and going out there and playing, doing my best, doing my job. When the plays came, they came, [and] I made the plays,” Hyppolite told Clocker Sports on Saturday.
“Now, just looking forward, I look to make a lot of plays and get a lot of opportunities to do so. So, that’s where my head’s at now. Obviously, college is college. We got a lot of great players in our linebacker room as well. A lot of young guys, a lot of veteran guys that I played with, and guys that were behind me that needed the game experience, which they did, and they’ll be better off since they got that.”
Make no mistake, though, Hyppolite was not a passenger.
“When I had the opportunities to make plays and do what I had to do, I did them, and I don’t regret it,” Hyppolite said. “I just took my opportunities and ran with them.”
Ryan Poles Selection Questioned
ESPN’s Eric Moody questioned Bears general manager Ryan Poles’ decision to select Hyppolite, calling the move a “major reach.”
“This fourth-round selection was shocking because many analysts predicted Hyppolite could go undrafted,” Moody wrote on May 6. “I thought this was a major reach in the middle rounds by general manager Ryan Poles.”
Poles, though, cited Hyppolite’s speed, just as the linebacker did, when talking up the rookie.
“Someone we were excited about. Guy that is extremely smart, tough,” Poles told reporters in April after selecting Hyppollite. “One thing talking with DA, is we want to continue to add our team speed, and he can fly. He’s a low 4.4 [40-yard dash] player that’s very active. But again, we like the combination of the speed and the intelligence.”