Illinois, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin Earn Weekly Football Honors
¬¬Following Week 10, the Co-Offensive, 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
Jahan Dotson, Penn State
WR – Sr. – Nazareth, Pa. – Nazareth Area
• Set career highs in receptions (11) and receiving yards (242), while catching three touchdown passes in Penn State’s 31-14 win at Maryland. Set a new Penn State record for receiving yards in a single game, breaking the previous record of 216 set by Deon Butler vs. Northwestern in 2006
• Became just the second FBS player this season to record 240-plus receiving yards and at least three receiving touchdowns in a game
• Scored touchdowns on receptions of 86, 38 and 21 yards. The 86-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter marked the longest catch of his career
• Has now registered 10 games of at least 100 receiving yards in his career, tying Allen Robinson for the second-most 100-yard receiving games in team history
• Earns the first Offensive Player of the Week accolade of his career; earned Special Teams Player of the Week honors on Dec. 14, 2020
• Last Penn State Offensive Player of the Week: Sean Clifford (Set. 27, 2021)
Co-Offensive Player of the Week
Aidan O’Connell, Purdue
QB – Sr. – Long Grove, Ill. – Stevenson (Ill.)
• Completed 40 of 54 passes (.741 pct.) for a career-high 536 yards and career-high-tying three touchdowns in Purdue’s win over No. 3 Michigan State. O’Connell’s 536 passing yards are the third-most in a single game in Purdue history, the fifth-most in a game in Big Ten history and the second-most in a game by an FBS quarterback in 2021
• According to College Football Reference, recorded the highest single-game completion percentage (.741 pct.) by a Big Ten quarterback with at least 50 attempts since 2000
• Registered the second-most completions in a game in Purdue history (40) and set a new record for passing yards in a Big Ten game by a Boilermaker quarterback, surpassing Drew Brees’ 522 yards vs. Minnesota on Oct. 3, 1998
• Garners the first Offensive Player of the Week honor of his career
• Last Purdue Offensive Player of the Week: David Bell (Oct. 18, 2021)
Defensive Player of the Week
Ji’Ayir Brown, Penn State
S – Sr. – Trenton, N.J. – Trenton Central
• Recorded two takeaways, including a pick-six, and a team-high nine tackles (eight solo) in Penn State’s 31-14 win at Maryland
• Intercepted a pass in the fourth quarter and returned it 87 yards for a touchdown, marking the fifth-longest interception return in Penn State history. Also recovered a fumble in the third quarter
• Has now registered four interceptions this season, marking the most by a Nittany Lion defender since 2017
• Earns the first Defensive Player of the Week honor of his career
• Last Penn State Defensive Player of the Week: Brandon Smith (Sept. 20, 2021)
Special Teams Player of the Week
Blake Hayes, Illinois
P – Sr. – Melbourne, Australia – Brighton Grammar (Melbourne, Australia)
• Punted seven times for 306 net yards (43.7 avg.) and dropped four punts inside the 20 to help Illinois control field position in the Illini’s 14-6 win over No. 20 Minnesota
• With 1:12 left in the game, downed a 41-yard punt at the Minnesota 2, pinning the Golden Gophers at their own goal line
• His 28 punts inside the 20 this season are tied for first in the Big Ten
• Earns the third Special Teams Player of the Week honor of his career and his second of the season
• Last Illinois Special Teams Player of the Week: Blake Hayes (Aug. 30, 2021)
Freshman of the Week
Braelon Allen, Wisconsin
RB – Fond du Lac, Wis. – Fond du Lac
• Recorded 129 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries (8.6 avg.) in Wisconsin’s 52-3 win at Rutgers
• Has now rushed for 100-plus yards in five straight games to become the first Badger freshman to do so since Anthony Davis in 2001
• Ranks second in the Big Ten with five 100-yard rushing games, trailing only Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker III (six games)
• Ranks fifth in the country in yards per carry (7.11) and is one of just six backs in the FBS to average more than 7.0 yards per rush. Is tied for fifth in the country among all freshmen running backs with 661 yards
• Earns the second Freshman of the Week honor of his career
• Last Wisconsin Freshman of the Week: Braelon Allen (Oct. 18, 2021)
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
Oct. 18
O: David Bell, Jr., WR, PUR
D: Cam Allen, Jr., S, PUR
S: Matt Coghlin, Gr., K, MSU
F: Braelon Allen, RB, WIS
Oct. 25
O: Chase Brown, So., RB, ILL
D: Leo Chenal, Jr. LB, WIS
S: Collin Larsh, Sr., K, WIS
F: C.J. Stroud, QB, OSU
Nov. 1
O: Kenneth Walker III, Jr., RB, MSU
D: Jalen Graham, Jr., LB/S, PUR
S: Adam Korsak, Sr., P, RU
S: Noah Ruggles, Gr., K, OSU
F: Andrel Anthony, WR, MICH
F: Mar’Keise Irving, RB, MINN
Nov. 8
O: Jahan Dotson, Sr., WR, PSU
O: Aidan O’Connell, Sr., QB, PUR
D: Ji’Ayir Brown, Sr., S, PSU
S: Blake Hayes, Sr., P, ILL
F: Braelon Allen, RB, WIS
