2026 games, tackles for loss per game. W and L: the team’s results.
Kenny Soares Jr.
Holds up snap after snap without a weakness to attack. Played for three head coaches across four seasons and three programs. On tape: 6 tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss against Illinois, Week 6, 2026.
26 tackles · 1 sack
Play style
No single standout number, but nothing missing either — competent across the board.
Closest statistical matches, adjusted for opponent strength.
Fans first named Kenny Soares Jr. vs Toledo.
His game this year: disruption in the backfield — 3 tackles for loss, 1 of them a sack, in the 7 games with play by play.
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Season | Team | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Michigan State | 26 | 12 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | NC State | 80 | 35 | 4.0 | 0.5 | 2 | -- |
| 2024 | Northwestern | 20 | 13 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 1 | -- |
| 2023 | Northwestern | 34 | 16 | 4.0 | 2.0 | 2 | -- |
| Career | 160 | 76 | 12.5 | 4.0 | 7 | 1 |
Last game (Wk 8): 4 tackles, 2 hurries.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 7 games
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| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 30-20vs Toledo | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Wk 2 | W 35-7vs Eastern Michigan | 5 | 2 | 1.5 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 4 | L 13-31vs Nebraska | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 5 | L 3-31@ Wisconsin | 3 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 6 | L 37-38vs Illinois | 6 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 6 tackles |
| Wk 7 | L 21-24vs No. 25 Northwestern | 4 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 8 | L 10-28@ No. 9 UCLA | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 26 | 12 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 1 | 2 |
Ratings of the games shown run from -15 to +15 points against an average team (SP+ rating of each opponent).
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
Sack rate
4%1 sackTFL rate
12%3 TFLHurry rate
23%6 hurriesPressure-to-sack conversion
14%1 of 7 pressures26 tackles · 3 for loss · 1 sack · 1 interception.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 7 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home5g | 3.8 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Road2g | 3.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.5 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-76g | 3.7 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.3 |
| Weeks 8+1g | 4.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Pat Fitzgerald
Pass share
44.3%
222 pass / 279 run
Plays / game
62.6
8 games
Team sack rate
9.4%
256 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Player standing · 2026
26 tackles in 7 games, about as many tackles a game as a typical FBS defensive lineman who plays every week.
Recognition
Production · CFB Zeitgeist Score
Three-star recruit. Now #188 at the position.
2026 is in progress.
Played for three programs.
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
3 coachesPlayed for 3 head coaches at 3 schools: Pat Fitzgerald, David Braun and Dave Doeren.
Next stop · Transfer
Transferred to Michigan State
