Michigan State, Minnesota, Oregon and Penn State Earn Weekly Football Honors
Spartans’ Brown and Milivojevic, Gophers’ Nestor, Ducks’ Sappington and Nittany Lions’ Allen garner accolades
ROSEMONT, Ill. – Following Week 14 contests, the Big Ten Conference Football Players of the Week Presented by IFS.ai were announced Monday. Below are this week’s honorees:
Offensive Player of the Week
Kaytron Allen, Penn State
RB – Sr. – Norfolk, Va. – IMG Academy
- Rushed for a career-high 226 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries in Penn State’s 40-36 win over Rutgers on Saturday
- Allen’s 226 yards are PSU’s most in a game since Larry Johnson’s 279 against Michigan State in 2002
- Had runs of 55, 43, and 50 yards, and became the 23rdBig Ten player in history to reach the 4,000 career rushing yards mark on his 55-yard run in the first quarter
- Scored his 39thcareer rushing touchdown in the second quarter, breaking a tie for third all-time at Penn State
- Last Penn State Offensive Player of the Week: Kaytron Allen (Nov. 24, 2025)
Defensive Player of the Week
John Nestor, Minnesota
DB – Jr. – Chicago, Ill. – Marist
- Recorded nine tackles, two tackles for loss, two interceptions and one fumble recovery in Minnesota’s 17-7 win over Wisconsin
- Both of Nestor’s interceptions came in the third quarter, making him the first Gopher with multiple picks in a quarter since Tyler Nubin versus Rutgers in 2022
- Joins Antoine Winfield Jr. (2019) as the only Gopher since at least 2000 to have multiple games in a season with two interceptions
- Last Minnesota Defensive Player of the Week honoree: Koi Perich (Oct. 14, 2024)
Co-Special Teams Players of the Week
Alante Brown, Michigan State
KR/WR – Gr. – Chicago, Ill. – Simeon
- Sparked Michigan State with a 92-yard kickoff return in the third quarter to help the Spartans defeat Maryland, 38-28
- It was the Spartans’ first kick return TD since R.J. Shelton against Penn State in 2014
- Missed the previous nine games due to injury and had a chance to play in his final collegiate game, serving as Michigan State’s honorary team captain
- Last Michigan State Special Teams Player of the Week honoree: Jonathan Kim (Oct. 21, 2024)
Atticus Sappington, Oregon
K – R-Sr.– Portland, Ore. – Central Catholic
- Accounted for 14 points in Oregon’s 26-14 win over Washington by going a career-best 4-for-4 on field goals and 2-for-2 on extra points
- In the third quarter, the redshirt-senior made a career long 51-yard field goal, the longest field goal by a Duck since Oct. 25, 2008 (Matt Evensen, 52 yards vs. Arizona State)
- Also made field goals from 32, 37 and 46 yards throughout the game
- Becomes the first Duck with four made field goals in a game since Aidan Schneider did on Oct. 29, 2016
- Last Oregon Special Teams Player of the Week honoree: Atticus Sappington (Nov. 10, 2025)
Freshman of the Week
Alessio Milivojevic, Michigan State
QB – Naperville, Ill. – St. Francis
- Threw a career-high four touchdowns, with a career-best 27 completions, for 27-of-39 passing for 292 yards in the Spartans’ 38-28 win over Maryland
- Connected on touchdown passes of one yard, nine yards, 10 yards and 15 yards
- Milivojevic found Omari Kelly in the end zone with under two minutes remaining on fourth down to seal the win for the Spartans
- Last Michigan State Freshman of the Week: Nick Marsh (Oct. 21, 2024)
2025 Big Ten Football Players of the Week (presented by IFS.ai)
Sept. 1
O: Jayden Maiava, USC
O: Jonah Coleman, WASH
D: Preston Zachman, WIS
ST: Hank Beatty, ILL
F: Malik Washington, MD
Sept. 8
O: Aidan Chiles, MSU
O: Jonah Coleman, WASH
D: Jordan Hall, MSU
ST: Spencer Porath, PUR
F: Julian Sayin, OSU
Sept. 15
O: Omar Cooper Jr., IND
D: Jerry Mixon, ORE
ST: Kaden Wetjen, IOWA
F: Bryce Underwood, MICH
Sept. 22
O: Fernando Mendoza, IND
O: Demond Williams Jr., WASH
D: Daniel Wingate, MD
ST: Kaden Wetjen, IOWA
ST: Dominic Zvada, MICH
F: Malik Washington, MD
Sept. 29
O: Luke Altmyer, ILL
O: Dante Moore, ORE
D: Caden Curry, OSU
ST: David Olano, ILL
F: Drake Lindsey, MINN
Oct. 6
O: Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
D: DeShon Singleton, NEB
ST: David Olano, ILL
F: Julian Sayin, OSU
Oct. 13
O: Demond Williams Jr., WASH
D: Aiden Fisher, IND
ST: Jack Olsen, NU
F: King Miller, USC
Oct. 20
O: Julian Sayin, OSU
D: Xavier Nwankpa, IOWA
ST: Mateen Bhaghani, UCLA
F: Julian Sayin, OSU
Oct. 27
O: Justice Haynes, MICH
O: Denzel Boston, WASH
D: Jimmy Rolder, MICH
ST: Kenneth Williams, NEB
ST: Jai Patel, RU
F: Jordon Davison, ORE
Nov. 3
O: Luke Altmyer, ILL
O: Jordan Marshall, MICH
D: Arvell Reese, OSU
ST: Ryon Sayeri, USC
F: Julian Sayin, OSU
Nov. 10
O: Emmett Johnson, NEB
D: Cooper Catalano, WIS
ST: Atticus Sappington, ORE
F: TJ Lateef, NEB
F: Mason Posa, WIS
Nov. 17
O: Fernando Mendoza, IND
O: Kaytron Allen, PSU
D: Dani Dennis-Sutton, PSU
ST: Ryon Sayeri, USC
F: Andrew Marsh, MICH
Nov. 24
O: Preston Stone, NU
O: Kaytron Allen, PSU
D: Darryl Peterson, WIS
ST: Kaden Wetjen, IOWA
F: Bo Jackson, OSU
Dec. 1
O: Kaytron Allen, PSU
D: John Nestor, MINN
ST: Alante Brown, MSU
ST: Atticus Sappington, ORE
F: Alessio Milivojevic, MSU
