Unlike most newly-hired head coaches, Michigan State’s Pat Fitzgerald didn’t have the luxury of bringing players from his previous team over to his new one. He had been out of FBS coaching for three years but that didn’t mean that he didn’t have former players scattered around college football that he could reconnect with.
One of those former players was Kenny Soares Jr., a three-star linebacker from the 2022 recruiting class. Fitzgerald signed him in his final recruiting class before being let go by the Wildcats.
Soares bounced around from Northwestern to NC State and now he’s at Michigan State under the coach who got his college career started. It feels like the perfect fit, and the coaching staff and his fellow teammates agree.
Soares is exactly what Michigan State’s defense has needed.
In fact, not only is he one of the most talented players on that side of the ball for Michigan State as well as a great leader (as proven by being voted “The Spartan”), but he’s also apparently the most competitive player that veteran cornerback Charles Brantley has ever seen.
Joe Rossi: "Chuck Brantley told me 'this kid is the most competitive I've ever seen.'" when discussing Kenny Soares Jr.
— Emmett Matasovsky (@E_Matasovsky57) August 10, 2026
A fierce competitor who has to be reeled in by the coaching staff every now and then, per defensive coordinator Joe Rossi, is exactly what this defense has been missing for years. Ever since Mark Dantonio retired, the defense has lacked guys like that even though a few have been sprinkled in here and there (Jordan Hall and Jacoby Windmon immediately come to mind).
Having two on defense at the same time (Hall and Soares) is a rarity. If you mix in guys like Nikai Martinez, Brantley, and several others who are absolute gamers, this year’s defense might actually have an identity built around toughness for the first time in almost a decade.
Soares is already making his presence felt, and the defense desperately needed a player like him.
What to expect from Kenny Soares Jr. in 2026
Entering his final season of college football, Soares Jr. is looking to build on his breakout campaign at NC State in 2025.
Soares was decent at Northwestern from 2023 to 2024, totaling 57 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks, but he really came into his own with the Wolfpack. He finished 2025 with 80 tackles, four tackles for loss, and 0.5 sacks.
Now that he’s assuming a new position as an edge rushing compared to his previous linebacker spot, he’s going to have much more impressive sack and tackle for loss numbers.
Considering he’s already been voted “The Spartan” and will be the first No. 1 wearer of the Fitzgerald era and that he’s been receiving praise from teammates and coaches already in fall camp, it’s safe to say that he’s about to have an All-Big Ten caliber year. He’s going to be the best pass rusher on the team and his speed and athleticism will cause a ton of havoc for opposing offenses.
We’ll see him exceed 10 tackles for loss and rack up between 5-10 sacks this season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google