3 Pass Rushers MSU Will Rely Upon During 2026 Season
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Michigan State needs a more effective pass rush next season.
The Spartans finished 14th in the Big Ten with just 1.83 sacks per game in 2025. Causing more stress on opposing quarterbacks will be major for MSU's hopes of reaching a bowl game. These three players in particular will play important roles in doing that.
Anelu Lafaele
One promising young player is rising redshirt sophomore Anelu Lafaele. The former Wisconsin transfer joined the program last season and performed pretty well in the early portions of the 2025 season before suffering a season-ending injury.
Lafaele should be coming back and getting a real role next season. He's especially the person defensive coordinator Joe Rossi wants out there during more obvious passing situations at rush end. If Lafaele stays healthy and continues his development, he'll have the chance to be one of the top players on the entire defense.
Keahnist Thompson
Michigan State is also going to be asking for some production from Weber State transfer Keahnist Thompson. He's a redshirt senior who began at UCF before spending the previous three seasons with the Wildcats. Thompson produced 4.0 sacks last season and 7.0 tackles for loss. He also had a 1.5-sack game during an early-season matchup against Big 12 foe Arizona. Thompson was also one of Weber State's team captains.
Thompson also had all those sacks and TFLs last season in just nine games. It is against FCS competition, though. Either way, MSU will need Thompson to play a role in the defense this coming fall.
Kenny Soares Jr.
Another interesting piece of the puzzle is N.C. State transfer Kenny Soares Jr. He's played linebacker during his career at Northwestern and with the Wolfpack, but the Spartans also seem to be moving Soares to their rush end position, where he's also been forging out a leadership role.
Soares hasn't been known as a huge pass-rusher in the past. He has totaled only 3.0 sacks in his career, and he had 0.5 last season at NCSU. A big part of his role will be to harden Michigan State's run defense, drawing on his previous experience as a linebacker.
Being able to rush the passer is still a big part of the job, though, and Soares will probably get more snaps at rush end than anybody else. He has graded well as a pass-rusher on PFF, also credited with nine QB hits and 21 hurries during his career.
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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