Positional Assignment for MSU's Kenny Soares Jr. Raises Questions

One of Michigan State's most productive transfer portal pickups may be at an unexpected spot in 2026.

When MSU got the portal commitment of N.C. State linebacker transfer Kenny Soares Jr. returned on Jan. 13, and it seemed like the Spartans and linebacker coach Max Bullough had added another nice name to their room.

Soares was a starting middle linebacker for the Wolfpack in 2025 and ranked second on the team with 80 total tackles across the season. He also played for Pat Fitzgerald at Northwestern during the 2022 season, remaining with the Wildcats through 2024.

Well, Soares isn't listed as a linebacker on Michigan State's spring roster. He's actually listed as an EDGE rusher at 6-foot-2 and 234 pounds. That could be an interesting move with implications on how the Spartans use him this season.

What Move to EDGE Means

Kenny Soares Jr.\ — Sep 6, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack linebacker Kenny Soares Jr. (33) looks on during warmups of the game against Virginia Cavaliers at Carter-Finley Stadium. | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Certainly, this probably means that MSU envisions using Soares as more of a pass rusher, rather than a linebacker. Returning captain Jordan Hall is still holding down that MIKE linebacker spot, but Soares did get some snaps in as an outside linebacker in last season, too.

Chances are that the Spartans will be using him as a "rush end," a bit of a niche position that is a part of defensive coordinator Joe Rossi's system. Players who run here are powerful enough pass rushers to be threats to offensive linemen and opposing quarterbacks, but also good enough on their feet to be able to drop into coverage sometimes.

The position is important enough that Michigan State has a devoted position coach to it: Andrew Bindelglass, who was promoted after being the assistant linebackers coach last season. MSU's official Twitter/X posted a video of Bindelglass mic'd up during a recent spring practice. During the video, he is seen working with Soares, Anelu Lafaele, Trey Lisle, and Chris Piwowarczyk during drills.

Soares moving to the spot still feels surprising, though, because of his lack of pass-rushing production. He's only made three career sacks, and he only had a half-sack last season at N.C. State.

MSU Brought In Veterans

There would have been other transfer portal linebackers with more experience getting to opposing quarterbacks. Buffalo transfer Dion Crawford has made 12.0 career sacks, including an 8.5-sack season in 2024. Auburn transfer Caleb Wheatland picked up 7.5 sacks during his 2023 and 2024 seasons at Maryland.

No matter which players are chasing quarterbacks, they have to be more effective than those of years past. Michigan State only averaged 1.83 sacks per contest last season, which ranked 14th in the Big Ten. The year before that, the Spartans got to the quarterback just 1.58 times per game, which was 15th in the conference.

Michigan State's new football coach Pat Fitzgerald pats his heart at the crowd in attendance for the Spartans basketball game against Iowa on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images