CFB Zeitgeist Score
75
Solid starter in the position cohort. Carried by tackles for loss at the 73rd percentile.
Kenny Soares Jr.
Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.
80 TACKLES · 0.5 SACKS
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Michigan State
2025NC State
2026Michigan State
LB · NC STATE · ACC
Kenny Soares Jr.
- 4
- #33
- 6-2 | 231 lb
- Trumbull, CT
Heisman Heat
#10691
<1% win probability
Fan Belief
Awaiting
Player-specific FI not yet ingested. Falls back to team mood below.
Respect Gap
Awaiting
Coming online with player-level FI.
Reality Gap
Awaiting
Coming online with player-level FI.
ACCOLADE PROBABILITY
Heisman
<1%
TOP LB AWARD
Butkus
—
CONSENSUS
All-American
—
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 2 · StarterR06 · Starter
Starter. A locked-in starting role.
Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career Arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Identity & Role
The durable bio layer: position, size, hometown, and roster role.
Recruiting Pedigree
How big the prospect was before college, and whether the later career arc beat that expectation.
| Class | Profile | Context |
|---|---|---|
| No recruiting profile is on file for this player. | ||
Transfer Arc
Portal movement changes role, context, and perception. This keeps that path in one place.
| Season | Move | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | NC State -> Michigan State | 3-star | 0.8600 | Immediate |
| 2025 | Northwestern -> NC State | 3-star | 0.8500 | Immediate |
Heisman Lens · 2024 Season · Final
Where the player landed at the end of the listed season — final nowcast rank, win/finalist/ballot probabilities, and the cleanest official Heisman placement on file.
HIGH CONFIDENCE· through week 16Heisman Futures
Not yet listed on major futures markets.
No achievements unlocked yet this season.
Selector Grid · 2025
AP—
FWAA—
AFCA—
WCFF—
SN—
SI—
Selector recognition fills in once the major honors lists (AP, FWAA, AFCA, Walter Camp, Sporting News, SI) are scraped and ingested.
Today’s Hot-Take
The Hot-Take engine fires when this player’s percentile profile crosses a defensible threshold (top 10% in a cohort, 100+ snap sample). When it’s quiet, the model is honoring its “must be defensible” rule.
Anti-Take
PENDINGThe contrarian read fires when the rules-engine detects a stat that complicates the Hot-Take. Quiet here means the model hasn’t found a defensible counter yet — not that one doesn’t exist.
The Room on Kenny Soares Jr.
Fan sentiment · Awaiting signal
The Room reads fan conversation around a player — who’s talking, what they believe, and how that shifts. It publishes once weekly volume rebuilds; for most players that’s in-season, when game-week chatter spikes.
Cohort divergence map
Cohort divergence reads how different fanbases talk about this player. Returns once weekly mentions clear the publish floor.
Rival Radar
How rival fanbases talk about Kenny Soares Jr.
No rival-bucket mentions in the current season.
Signature Story
Awaiting candidate metric
He hasn't written his page yet — we'll start filling it in when there are enough snaps to rank against his peers.
Signature Moment
No signature moment on the ledger yet.
Returns once this player puts together a multi-game body of work — single-game flashes alone don't clear the bar.
Season Pace · Projection
Where the defensive totals stand
Through 13g
80Tackles
4Tackles for loss
0.5Sacks
Per game
6Tackles
0.3Tackles for loss
0Sacks
Final
80Tackles
4Tackles for loss
0.5Sacks
✓ Hit 80-tackle season · finished with 80.
Why this is a rare defensive case
The fast read on the thing that makes this player more than a generic stat line.
Kenny Soares Jr. is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on NC State's defense, with 0.5 sacks, 4.0 tackles for loss, and -- interceptions through the current loaded season. For a defender, the question is never just production; it is whether elite disruption and team context can become nationally undeniable.
2025 Season · Final
Traditional stats first. Advanced context underneath.
Last season
DEF season snapshot
2025 season snapshot | final
2025 season snapshot | finalData: CFBD player stats + local Heisman modelPeer context: same position + same level
Player identity What kind of player is this?
30-second read
What kind of player is this?
High-disruption defender | High-volume tackler against FBS defenders.
2025 Season · Final
2025 season snapshot | final
Tackling & Disruption
TOT
80 97th
SOLO
35 92nd
TFL
4.0 85th
SACK
0.5 70th
QBH
6 94th
Coverage & Takeaways
PD
2 64th
Game Log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 13 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 24-17vs East Carolina | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 35-31vs Virginia | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 34-24@ Wake Forest | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 4 | L 33-45@ Duke | 5 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 5 | L 21-23vs Virginia Tech | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 6 | W 56-10vs Campbell | 9 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 7 | L 7-36@ Notre Dame | 8 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 9 | L 34-53@ Pittsburgh | 12 | 7 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 10 | W 48-36vs Georgia Tech | 14 | 3 | 1.0 | 0.5 | — | 0 | Season-high 14 tackles |
| Wk 12 | L 7-41@ Miami | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 13 | W 21-11vs Florida State | 7 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 14 | W 42-19vs North Carolina | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Bowl | W 31-7vs Memphis | 12 | 5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 80 | 35 | 4.0 | 0.5 | — | 2 |
Season-by-season tables Career rows + per-season box score
Traditional history
Traditional Stats
Season rows up top, career context at the bottom.
Season context · Team result + system
2023Northwestern8-5HC: David Braun · Run-leaning
2024Northwestern4-8HC: David Braun · Balanced, slow tempo
2025NC State8-5HC: Dave Doeren · Balanced
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 loaded seasons | 134 | 64 | 9.5 | 3.0 | 5 | -- | -- |
Advanced layer Usage, value, and context
Advanced metrics second
Advanced Metrics
Usage, value, and opponent-adjusted context.
TFL, sacks, and QB hurries are grouped together because defensive Heisman cases are usually built on visible havoc, not on tackle counts alone.
Pass breakups, interceptions, and forced fumbles matter because national awards voters respond to plays that change possessions and highlight reels.
Every percentile is compared against players at the same position and level, so an FBS quarterback is judged against FBS quarterbacks, not the whole sport.
The top tables stick to the stats fans already know from broadcasts and box scores. Advanced context is pushed underneath instead of replacing the basics.
Open full stat explorer
| Group | Metric | Value | Rank | Pct | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defense | Total tackles | 80 | #145/4942 | 97th pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | TFL | 4.0 | #738/4972 | 85th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Sacks | 0.5 | #1501/4972 | 70th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Pass breakups | 2 | #792/2184 | 64th pct | Coveragevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | QB hurries | 6 | #117/1878 | 94th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Solo tackles | 35 | #353/4584 | 92nd pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
Player Standing
Universal 17-step ladder. Tier pills below; accolade streams nested.
AWAITING CLASSIFICATION
On-team2-deepStartingRecognizedEliteApex
AWAITING CLASSIFICATION · Rung None of 16
Why he’s here
Standing classification populates when honors, Heisman, and roster signals all align.
What moves him up
What moves him down
Accolade streams
Status—Awaiting tracker
The Butkus award tracker integrates per-week probability once a dedicated scraper for this award lands. Confirmed past winners and finalists for this player will surface here.
Splits · Per-game
2025 season · 13 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home8g | 6.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Road5g | 5.8 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.2 |
Win vs Loss
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins8g | 6.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Losses5g | 6.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.2 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-78g | 5.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Weeks 8+5g | 7.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.4 |
Pocket and defense-quality (clean vs. pressure) splits are coming soon.
Savant · Box-rate percentiles
Where this profile ranks vs the LB cohort
75Solid starter
Elite: tackles (94th). Strength: qb hurries (94th).
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Advanced Savant · LB · 2024
Percentile Card
Advanced opponent-adjusted percentile bars are coming soon for this player.
P4G5All FBS
Advanced Savant
Opponent-adjusted advanced metrics with a cohort filter.
Advanced opponent-adjusted metrics are coming soon for this player. Selected cohort: P4.
Peer Comparator · Fingerprint match
Three closest profiles by box-rate percentile
Kenny Soares Jr.NC StateTrey FieldsNorth Texas· 91% simAndon ThomasArmy· 88% simBryce BoettcherOregon· 87% sim
Tackles
QB hurries
Solo tackles
Tackles for loss
Passes defended
Sacks
Closest peers by overall box-score percentile profile at the same position.
Player DNA
The Every-Down Linebacker
Leads the team in tackles and rarely leaves the field.
LB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Ryan Smenda Jr.’s 2021 season.
Ryan Smenda Jr.
90%match
#2
Elijah Herring
88%
#3
Wayne Matthews III
86%
#4
Gavin Potter
86%
#5
Darius McKenzie
86%
Matches Ryan on
Tackle volume
Height
Sack rate
Differs from Ryan on
Class year (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Jordan Carmouche's junior season at Arkansas State (2022).
Jordan Carmouche
91%match
#2
Yvandy Rigby
89%
#3
Jamal Ligon
All-Conference USA
89%
#4
Tommy Eichenberg
All-Big TenNFL Rd 5
88%
#5
Langston Patterson
88%
Matches Jordan on
Weight
Sack rate
Tackle volume
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Dave Doeren
Pass share
49.7%
411 pass / 416 run
Plays / game
63.6
13 games
OL sack rate (allowed)
6.5%
307 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced.
Coaching Lineage · 2023–2025
1 coach2023
Dave Doeren
NC State
2024
Dave Doeren
NC State
2025
Dave Doeren
NC State
Played his entire career under Dave Doeren.
Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster
Off-field context — switch tabs to drill into recruit profile, transfer arc, or roster timeline.
HometownTrumbull, CT
Height6'2"
Weight231 lb
Class4
PositionLB
Jersey33
No fields populated yet.
No fields populated yet.
Current teamNC State
ConferenceACC
Joined2025
Career arc4 season(s)
Trophy Case · Detail
Every honor on the ledger, broken out by stream and selector.
No formal honors on the ledger yet
All-America, all-conference, player-of-the-week, watch-list, and postseason awards land here when they're earned. The absence is the signal: most players never collect formal honors, and that's its own kind of context.
Honors Timeline
Season-end distinction and week-by-week recognition on one timeline.
| Season | Honor | Scope | Team / Selector | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No formal honors on the ledger yet. All-America, all-conference, weekly awards, watch lists, and postseason trophies land here when they’re earned. | ||||
Heisman By Year
Modeled rank and official finish by season.
| Season | Team | Role | Latest Model | Forecast | Win | Finalist | Official Finish | Points | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Northwestern | LB4 | #10691 | #10905 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W16 snapshot | Big Ten |
| 2023 | Northwestern | LB4 | #8458 | #9002 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W19 snapshot | Big Ten |
| 2022 | Northwestern | LB4 | #13469 | #13554 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W20 snapshot | Big Ten |
Roster Timeline
Team, conference, and class by season.
| Season | Team | Conference | Pos | Class | Bio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | NC State | ACC | LB | 4 | No. 33 | 6-2 | 231 lb | Trumbull, CT |
| 2024 | Northwestern | Big Ten | LB | 4 | No. 33 | 6-2 | 231 lb | Trumbull, CT |
| 2023 | Northwestern | Big Ten | LB | 4 | No. 33 | 6-2 | 231 lb | Trumbull, CT |
| 2022 | Northwestern | Big Ten | LB | 4 | No. 33 | 6-2 | 231 lb | Trumbull, CT |