Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State Earn Weekly Football Honors
¬¬Following Week 6, the Co-Offensive, Co-Defensive, and Special Teams Players of the Week, and the Freshman of the Week in the Big Ten were announced this morning. Below are this week’s honorees:
Co-Offensive Player of the Week
Jalen Nailor, Michigan State
WR – Jr. – Palmdale, Calif. – Bishop Gorman (Nev.)
• Notched five receptions for a career-high 221 yards (44.2 avg.) and a career-high three touchdowns to help Michigan State defeat Rutgers 31-13
• Tied a school record with three touchdown receptions and registered the fourth-most receiving yards in a single game in Michigan State history
• Hauled in touchdown receptions of 63, 63 and 65 yards to account for all the Spartans’ first half points and help Michigan State build a 21-13 halftime lead
• Becomes the first Big Ten player to record more than 220 receiving yards and at least three touchdowns since Illinois’ A.J. Jenkins caught 12 passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns on Oct. 1, 2011 vs. Northwestern
• Earns the first Offensive Player of the Week accolade of his career
• Last Michigan State Offensive Player of the Week: Payton Thorne (Sept. 20, 2021)
Co-Offensive Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week
C.J. Stroud, Ohio State
QB – Empire, Calif. – Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.)
• Completed 24 of 33 passes (72.7 pct.) for 406 yards and career-high-tying five touchdowns in Ohio State’s 66-17 win at Maryland
• Became the first player in Ohio State history to register more than 400 yards passing and five touchdown passes in a game without an interception
• Recorded just the eighth 400-plus-yard passing game in Ohio State history, with the 406 yards marking the sixth-most ever by a Buckeye
• Earns the first Offensive Player of the Week honor of his career and his fourth Freshman of the Week accolade this season
• Last Ohio State Offensive Player of the Week: TreVeyon Henderson (Sept. 20)
• Last Ohio State Freshman of the Week: C.J. Stroud (Oct. 4, 2021)
Co-Defensive Player of the Week
Matt Hankins, Iowa
DB – Sr. – Lewisville, Texas – Marcus (Texas)
• Recorded five tackles and an interception to help Iowa defeat then-No. 4 Penn State 23-20
• With Iowa leading 23-20, made a key tackle on fourth-and-3 with 3:44 remaining to hold Penn State short of the sticks and give the ball back to the Hawkeyes
• Intercepted Penn State quarterback Ta’Quan Roberson on the next drive to help preserve the win for the Hawkeyes
• Earns the first Defensive Player of the Week honor of his career
• Last Iowa Defensive Player of the Week: Jack Campbell (Sept. 27, 2021)
Co-Defensive Player of the Week
Brad Hawkins, Michigan
DB – Gr. – Camden, N.J. – Suffield Academy (Conn.)
• Tallied five tackles (four solo), a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in Michigan’s 32-29 win at Nebraska
• With the game tied 29-29 and less than five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, stripped the ball from Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez and returned it 19 yards to set up the Wolverines’ game-winning field goal
• Garners the first Defensive Player of the Week honor of his career
• Last Michigan Defensive Player of the Week: David Ojabo (Oct. 4, 2021)
Special Teams Player of the Week
Jacob Moody, Michigan
K – Sr. – Northville, Mich. – Northville
 Connected on all four of his field goal attempts and both extra point attempts to score 14 of Michigan’s 32 points
 Hit 31-yard and 39-yard field goals in the final three minutes of the game, including the game-winner with 1:24 remaining in the fourth quarter
 Registered touchbacks on all eight of his kickoffs
 Earns the second Special Teams Player of the Week honor of his career and the first since he was a freshman on Nov. 19, 2018
 Last Michigan Special Teams Player of the Week: Giles Jackson (Nov. 23, 2020)
2021 Big Ten Football Players of the Week
Aug. 30
O: Artur Sitkowski, So., QB, ILL
D: Calvin Hart Jr., So., LB, ILL
S: Blake Hayes, Sr., P, ILL
F: Deuce Spann, WR, ILL
Sept. 6
O: Kenneth Walker III, Jr., RB, MSU
D: Riley Moss, Sr., DB, IOWA
S: Jordan Stout, Sr., K/P, PSU
F: C.J. Stroud, QB, OSU
Sept. 13
O: Blake Corum, So., RB, MICH
D: Luke Reimer, So., LB, NEB
S: Adam Korsak, Sr., P, RU
S: Tory Taylor, So., P, IOWA
F: C.J. Stroud, QB, OSU
Sept. 20
O: Payton Thorne, So., QB, MSU
O: TreVeyon Henderson, Fr., RB, OSU
D: Brandon Smith, Jr., LB, PSU
S: Aron Cruickshank, Jr., WR, RU
S: Joseph Petrino, Sr., K, MD
F: TreVeyon Henderson, RB, OSU
Sept. 27
O: Sean Clifford, Sr., QB, PSU
O: Evan Hull, So., RB, NU
D: Jack Campbell, Jr., LB, IOWA
S: Jayden Reed, Jr., WR, MSU
F: Kyle McCord, QB, OSU
Oct. 4
O: Chase Brown, So., RB, ILL
D: David Ojabo, Jr., LB, MICH
D: JoJo Domann, Sr., LB, NEB
S: Mark Crawford, So., P, MINN
S: Jordan Stout, Sr., K/P, PSU
F: C.J. Stroud, QB, OSU
Oct. 11
O: Jalen Nailor, Jr., WR, MSU
O: C.J. Stroud, Fr., QB, OSU
D: Matt Hankins, Sr., DB, IOWA
D: Brad Hawkins, Gr., DB, MICH
S: Jacob Moody, Sr., K, MICH
F: C.J. Stroud, QB, OSU
