Kenny Soares Jr. holds the RDE · Starter spot in Michigan State Spartans’s edge room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:

Kenny Soares Jr. is a graduate senior transfer from NC State to Michigan State, standing 6'2" and weighing 234 pounds. The Trumbull, Connecticut native began his college career at Northwestern in 2022 under Coach Pat Fitzgerald, appearing in four games as a freshman. He played 41 career collegiate games across Northwestern (2022–24) and NC State (2025). At NC State in 2025, his redshirt junior season, Soares recorded 80 tackles—a career high and second-most on the team—while appearing in all 13 games with eight consecutive starts at middle linebacker. He also posted 4.0 tackles for loss, two pass break-ups, and a half sack, playing 656 defensive snaps. Soares earned the Walter Camp Connecticut Defensive Player of the Year award and holds one season of eligibility remaining.

Northwestern2022 – 2024

NC State2025

Michigan State2026 — present