Michigan State University Athletics
2026 Spring Football Roster
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Kenny Soares Jr.
- Position:
- EDGE
- Ht./Wt.:
- 6-2 / 233
- Class:
- Redshirt Senior
- Hometown:
- Trumbell, Conn.
- High School:
- Avon Old Farms
- Prev School:
- Northwestern/NC State
Graduate senior transfer has one season of eligibility remaining . . . has played in 41 career collegiate games (28 at Northwestern from 2022-24; 13 at NC State in 2025) . . . earned his bachelor’s degree from Northwestern . . . played for Coach Pat Fitzgerald during the 2022 season at Northwestern.
2025 SEASON (REDSHIRT JUNIOR AT NC STATE): Recorded a career-high 80 tackles, second-most on the team . . . played in all 13 games, including the last eight in a row in a starting role at middle linebacker . . . tied his career high with 4.0 tackles for loss (6 yards) . . . also had two pass break-ups and a half sack . . . named the Walter Camp Connecticut Defensive Player of the Year; the award is presented to the top college football players who are residents and/or played scholastically in the state of Connecticut (from Trumbull, Connecticut) . . . played a career-high 656 snaps on defense . . . also saw action on 76 special teams plays . . . recorded 12 tackles, including a 1-yard TFL, in Gasparilla Bowl win over Memphis (12/19) . . . notched seven tackles and a pass break-up against Florida State (11/21) . . . had a career game in upset win over No. 8 Georgia Tech with 14 tackles against the previously undefeated Yellow Jackets . . . recorded his first career double-digit tackle game with 12 stops, including a 3-yard loss, in addition to a PBU vs. Pittsburgh (10/25) . . . collected eight tackles against Notre Dame (10/11) . . . had nine stops with a fumble recovery vs. Campbell (10/4).
2024 SEASON (REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE AT NORTHWESTERN): Appeared in all 12 games, including three starting assignments . . . posted 20 tackles, 2.0 TFLs, one pass break-up and a half sack . . . played 267 snaps on defense and 73 on special teams . . . Academic All-Big Ten honoree . . . collected a season-best five stops against Iowa (10/26) . . . had a half sack (3 yards) with two tackles against Miami (Ohio) in season opener (8/31).
2023 SEASON (REDSHIRT FRESHMAN AT NORTHWESTERN): Played in 12 games, including five starts . . . played 301 snaps on defense and 103 on special teams . . . recorded 37 tackles, including 4.0 TFLs (16 yards) and 2.0 sacks (11 yards) . . . also broke up two passes and recovered a fumble . . . delivered a 10-yard sack and had seven tackles overall in the Las Vegas Bowl win over Utah (12/23) . . . recorded his first career sack vs. Wisconsin (11/11) . . . had four tackles and first career TFL in win over Maryland (10/28) . . . in his first career start, had three tackles and a PBU vs. Penn State (9/30) . . . had three tackles and a fumble recovery in the season opener against Rutgers (9/3).
2022 SEASON (FRESHMAN AT NORTHWESTERN): Made his collegiate debut against Southern Illinois (9/17) and played in four games overall (vs. SIU, Minnesota, Purdue, Illinois) . . . played 13 snaps on defense and 23 on special teams.
HIGH SCHOOL AND PERSONAL DATA: Helped Avon Old Farms win the Class A NEPSAC (New England Preparatory School Athletic Council) Championship in 2021 . . . was named first-team All-NEPSAC . . . also named to the All-Founders League First Team . . . rated the No. 5 overall prospect in the state of Connecticut in the Class of 2023 by 247Sports.
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2025 SEASON (REDSHIRT JUNIOR AT NC STATE): Recorded a career-high 80 tackles, second-most on the team . . . played in all 13 games, including the last eight in a row in a starting role at middle linebacker . . . tied his career high with 4.0 tackles for loss (6 yards) . . . also had two pass break-ups and a half sack . . . named the Walter Camp Connecticut Defensive Player of the Year; the award is presented to the top college football players who are residents and/or played scholastically in the state of Connecticut (from Trumbull, Connecticut) . . . played a career-high 656 snaps on defense . . . also saw action on 76 special teams plays . . . recorded 12 tackles, including a 1-yard TFL, in Gasparilla Bowl win over Memphis (12/19) . . . notched seven tackles and a pass break-up against Florida State (11/21) . . . had a career game in upset win over No. 8 Georgia Tech with 14 tackles against the previously undefeated Yellow Jackets . . . recorded his first career double-digit tackle game with 12 stops, including a 3-yard loss, in addition to a PBU vs. Pittsburgh (10/25) . . . collected eight tackles against Notre Dame (10/11) . . . had nine stops with a fumble recovery vs. Campbell (10/4).
2024 SEASON (REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE AT NORTHWESTERN): Appeared in all 12 games, including three starting assignments . . . posted 20 tackles, 2.0 TFLs, one pass break-up and a half sack . . . played 267 snaps on defense and 73 on special teams . . . Academic All-Big Ten honoree . . . collected a season-best five stops against Iowa (10/26) . . . had a half sack (3 yards) with two tackles against Miami (Ohio) in season opener (8/31).
2023 SEASON (REDSHIRT FRESHMAN AT NORTHWESTERN): Played in 12 games, including five starts . . . played 301 snaps on defense and 103 on special teams . . . recorded 37 tackles, including 4.0 TFLs (16 yards) and 2.0 sacks (11 yards) . . . also broke up two passes and recovered a fumble . . . delivered a 10-yard sack and had seven tackles overall in the Las Vegas Bowl win over Utah (12/23) . . . recorded his first career sack vs. Wisconsin (11/11) . . . had four tackles and first career TFL in win over Maryland (10/28) . . . in his first career start, had three tackles and a PBU vs. Penn State (9/30) . . . had three tackles and a fumble recovery in the season opener against Rutgers (9/3).
2022 SEASON (FRESHMAN AT NORTHWESTERN): Made his collegiate debut against Southern Illinois (9/17) and played in four games overall (vs. SIU, Minnesota, Purdue, Illinois) . . . played 13 snaps on defense and 23 on special teams.
HIGH SCHOOL AND PERSONAL DATA: Helped Avon Old Farms win the Class A NEPSAC (New England Preparatory School Athletic Council) Championship in 2021 . . . was named first-team All-NEPSAC . . . also named to the All-Founders League First Team . . . rated the No. 5 overall prospect in the state of Connecticut in the Class of 2023 by 247Sports.
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