It only took one half of the Pat Fitzgerald era for Michigan State fans to realize just why Kenny Soares Jr. was the team’s vote to be “The Spartan” and don the No. 1 jersey this season.
Outside of being a clear presence off the edge early on, wreaking some havoc in the backfield, Soares dropped back in coverage on a big third down and tipped a pass to himself for his first career interception, flipping field position after the Spartans were already up 10-0. That led to a field goal to make it 13-0, but his presence was felt from the get-go.
KENNY SOARES JR. WITH THE INTERCEPTION 🙌 @MSU_Football
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 5, 2026
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Jordan Hall went down with an injury and Toledo scored a touchdown just plays later so the defense needs more than just Soares and Tre Bell clearly, but the pieces are there.
Just 30 minutes into his first game as a Spartan, fans are already falling in love with Soares’ game and it’s obvious to everyone why Fitzgerald wanted him in the transfer portal after he recruited the talented edge rusher at Northwestern. He started his career with Fitzgerald and now he’s going to end it with him.
The first look at Soares has been impressive and while it’s tough for an edge rusher to really fill the stat sheet when he’s not recording sacks or tackles for loss, he’s at least causing Toledo to have to think twice about running to his side or holding the ball too long in the backfield.
Heck, the Rockets apparently now have to worry about Soares dropping back in coverage and picking them off. Soares has been really solid thus far.
A couple of other Michigan State defenders have also stood out
Outside of Soares, there have been a few standouts on Michigan State’s defense thus far and that just goes to show that Joe Rossi’s presence on the sideline is helping motivate these guys.
As mentioned earlier, Bell has been really good at cornerback thus far, making a really good tackle on the quarterback during a scramble as well as picking up a sack on a corner blitz in the second quarter. He looks the part already which is necessary with Charles Brantley struggling a bit.
Hall looked pretty good while he was healthy and out there. He did leave and return with a brace on his arm and then left again after reaggravating something. He was visibly frustrated on the sideline after the second departure, but he came back in once again. Hall still favored one arm a little bit which is a bit concerning, but he still played well.
I also liked what I saw from the defensive line, Brady Pretzlaff, Nikai Martinez, Michael Richard, and Caleb Wheatland throughout the first half.
The main takeaway, however, is how Soares has earned that No. 1.
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