It took Michigan State only one half to understand why Kenny Soares Jr. was the player chosen to wear No. 1 and be “The Spartan” this season.
Soares wasted no time making himself impossible to miss. Early on, he was already creating problems off the edge and living in Toledo’s backfield.
Then came the play that really put the spotlight on him: on a big third down, he dropped into coverage, tipped a pass to himself and came away with his first career interception. Michigan State was already ahead 10-0, and the turnover helped set up a field goal that pushed the lead to 13-0.
KENNY SOARES JR. WITH THE INTERCEPTION 🙌 @MSU_Football
Watch on FS1 pic.twitter.com/RM8k6E0d87
- Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 5, 2026
Even with that strong start, the Spartans also had to deal with some turbulence on defense. Jordan Hall went down with an injury, and Toledo punched in a touchdown just a few plays later. That was a reminder that Michigan State needs more than just Soares and Tre Bell to hold things together, even if those two are already giving the unit a real backbone.
Still, the first impression from Soares was exactly what Michigan State fans wanted. It makes sense why Pat Fitzgerald pushed to bring him in through the transfer portal after recruiting him at Northwestern. Soares began his career with Fitzgerald, and now he’s set to finish it with him.
For an edge rusher, the box score doesn’t always tell the whole story unless the sacks and tackles for loss pile up. But Soares was forcing Toledo to account for him on every snap.
The Rockets had to think about him crashing off the edge, and now they also have to worry about him dropping into coverage and stealing a pass. That’s a pretty good way to announce yourself.
There were other encouraging signs on the Michigan State defense, too.
Bell was active at cornerback, including a strong tackle on the quarterback during a scramble and a sack on a corner blitz in the second quarter. With Charles Brantley struggling some, Bell has looked the part so far.
Hall had a solid first stretch while healthy. He left once with a brace on his arm, then exited again after apparently reaggravating something.
He was clearly frustrated on the sideline after that second departure, though he did return once more. He was still favoring one arm a bit, which is worth watching, but his play itself was encouraging.
The defensive line also showed up in the first half, with Brady Pretzlaff, Nikai Martinez, Michael Richard and Caleb Wheatland all drawing notice.
But the headline from the first 30 minutes was simple: Soares has already looked like a No. 1.
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He finished by distributing the ball around and making life manageable for a team that still had some issues turning red zone chances into touchdowns. Even so, the performance mattered for a program looking for proof that the position could be stable again, and Milivojevic gave the Spartans a reason to think the answer might already be in-house. [Read more 🡒]