OFFICIAL: ATH Kenny Soares Jr. Signs With Northwestern
ATH Kenny Soares Jr.
Height: 6'3
Weight: 215
Hometown: Trumbull, CT
High School: Avon Old Farms
Power Five Offers: Northwestern, Colorado, Indiana, Maryland
Group of Five Offers: Army, Buffalo, Central Michigan, UConn, Kent State, UMass
Adding more speed, grit and tenacity to the defensive side of the ball 😤
— Pat Fitzgerald (@coachfitz51) December 15, 2021
Welcome to the family, @the_next_up_ ✍️ #GoCats pic.twitter.com/LovVT70Snn
Evaluation: Soares is an explosive athlete who will likely be playing linebacker for Pat Fitzgerald and the Wildcats. Soares has exceptional blitz timing and displays a natural feel for rushing the passer from depth. He can blitz off the edge as well as up the middle, and is an explosive tackler as well.
Playing Time Projection: The Northwestern LB group is going to be losing Peter McIntyre and Chris Bergin to graduation, and Jaylen Rivers to the transfer portal. Soares speed and athleticism could make him an instant player in the LB group, while giving Defensive Coordinator Jim O'Neil a versatile chess piece for his defense that needs help in the linebacker group. Don't be surprised if you see Soares suiting up for Northwestern in the upcoming fall.
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Joseph Acosta is a graduate student at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, specifying in Sports Media. He previously worked as the Managing Editor and Business Manager of the Florida Atlantic University Press from 2020-2021, and is a writer for SB Nation's Big Cat Country, covering the Jacksonville Jaguars.