Illinois, Minnesota, Northwestern and Wisconsin Earn Weekly Football Honors
Illini’s Clayton II, Gophers’ Drzewiecki, Wildcats’ Chiles and Badgers’ Cheeks garner accolades
ROSEMONT, Ill. – Following Week 8 contests, the Big Ten Conference Football Players of the Week were announced Monday. Below are this week’s honorees:
Offensive Player of the Week
Aidan Chiles, Northwestern
QB – Sr. – Long Beach, Calif. – Downey
• Threw for 219 yards (19-of-25) and three touchdowns, while rushing for 83 yards and two scores in a 42-14 win against Rutgers
• The only player nationally to have two games with 3+ passing touchdown and 2+ rushing touchdowns this season
• Becomes the second Big Ten quarterback since 1995 to have 12+ passing touchdowns and 9+ rushing touchdowns across the first seven games of a season, joining Michigan’s Devin Gardner (2013)
• Last Northwestern Offensive Player of the Week: Aidan Chiles (Sept. 21, 2026)
Defensive Player of the Week
Sebastian Cheeks, Wisconsin
OLB – 5th Year – Skokie, Ill. – Evanston Township
• Posted five tackles and 2.5 sacks in Wisconsin’s win against No. 16 USC at Camp Randall on Saturday night
• His five tackles included the three parts of sacks and two stops for no gain
• Helped the Badgers hold USC to -17 yards rushing, which ranks as the second-best mark in Wisconsin school history and the best by a defense in Division I college football this season
• Last Wisconsin Defensive Player of the Week honoree: Darryl Peterson (Nov. 24, 2025)
Special Teams Player of the Week
Luke Drzewiecki, Minnesota
K – 5th Year – Shelby Township, Mich. – Utica Eisenhower
• Went 2-for-2 on field goals, making his first from 31 yards and then a walk-off 46-yarder in Minnesota’s 13-10 win against Iowa to reclaim the Floyd of Rosedale at home for the first time since 2014
• His 41-yard field goal as time expired secured the win for Minnesota, marking the first walk-off field goal of his collegiate career and the first for a Gopher since the 2023 season opener against Nebraska
• Has made 27 straight field goals dating to last season and has made all 12 of his attempts this year
• Last Minnesota Special Teams Player of the Week honoree: Luke Drzewiecki (Sept. 28, 2026)
Freshman of the Week
Michael Clayton II, Illinois
QB – Orlando, Fla. – Miami Edison
• Completed 11-of-18 pass attempts for 84 yards and two touchdowns in Illinois’ 21-10 win vs. Oregon, the Ducks’ first Big Ten road loss since joining the conference
• Became the third true freshman quarterback in Illinois history to win a game as the starter, joining Juice Williams at Michigan State in 2006 and Kurt Kittner at Northwestern in 1998
• Second true freshman QB in Illinois history to have two games with 2+ touchdown passes in a season
• Last Illinois Freshman of the Week: Kaden Feagin (Nov. 6, 2023)
2026 Big Ten Football Players of the Week
Sept. 7
O: Jayden Maiava, QB, R-Sr., USC
D: Caleb Bacon, DE, R-Sr., PSU
D: Ta’Shawn James, DB, Sr., UCLA
ST: Javon Tracy, WR, 5th-Yr., MINN
F: Jamal Rule, RB, Fr., NEB
Sept. 14
O: Anthony Colandrea, QB, Sr., NEB
D: John Henry Daley, DE, Sr., MICH
ST: Caden Buhr, PK, So., IOWA
F: Mark Bowman, TE, Fr., USC
Sept. 21
O: Aidan Chiles, QB, Sr., NU
D: Sammy Omosigho, LB, Sr., UCLA
ST: Caden Chittenden, K, R-So., USC
F: Riley Wormley, RB, R-Fr., USC
Sept. 28
O: Jeremiah Smith, WR, Jr., OSU
D: Maverick Baranowski, LB, 5th-Yr., MINN
ST: Luke Drzewiecki, K, 5th-Yr., MINN
F: Braeden Jackson, RB, R-Fr., IOWA
Oct. 5
O: Jeremiah Smith, WR, Jr., OSU
O: Colton Joseph, QB, Sr., WIS
D: Braydon Brus, LB, Gr., NU
ST: Jacobo Echeverria Lozano, K, Fr., PUR
F: Luke Wafle, DE, Fr., USC
Oct. 12
O: Fame Ijeboi, RB, So., PUR
D: Jalen Woods, LB, 5th-Yr., UCLA
ST: Ethan Moczulski, K, 5th-Yr., ILL
F: Trent Mosley, WR, Fr., USC
Oct. 19
O: KJ Duff, WR, Jr., RU
D: Chris Bracy, S, Jr., MICH
ST: Gage Hurych, K, Jr., ORE
F: Jay Timmons, CB, Fr., OSU
Oct. 26
O: Aidan Chiles, QB, Sr., NU
D: Sebastian Cheeks, OLB, 5th-Yr., WIS
ST: Luke Drzewiecki, K, 5th-Yr., MINN
F: Michael Clayton II, QB, Fr., ILL
