Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan and Washington Earn Weekly Football Honors
Hoosiers’ Mendoza, Hawkeyes’ Wetjen, Terrapins’ Washington and Wingate, along with Wolverines’ Zvada garner accolades
ROSEMONT, Ill. – Following Week 4 contests, the Big Ten Conference Football Players of the Week Presented by IFS.ai were announced Monday. Below are this week’s honorees:
Co-Offensive Players of the Week
Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
QB – Jr. – Miami, Fla. – Christopher Columbus
• Completed 21-of-23 passes for 267 yards and tied a career-high five passing touchdowns in a victory over No. 9/8 Illinois
• Posted back-to-back games with five passing touchdowns to move his Big Ten-leading total to 14
• Of his 21 completions, 14 went for either a first down or touchdown and finished the game with 15-straight completions
• His .910 (21-for-23) completion percentage put him at No. 3 on the game completion percentage charts just a week after setting the program’s record of.950 (19-for-20) in Week 3 against Indiana State (9/12)
• Last Indiana Offensive Player of the Week: Omar Cooper Jr. (Sept. 15, 2025)
Demond Williams Jr., Washington
QB – So. – Chandler, Ariz. – Basha
• Accounted for five total touchdowns as Washington won the Apple Cup vs. Washington State, 59-24
• Completed 16-of-19 passes for 298 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions, while also rushing for 88 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries
• His .842 completion percentage was good for eighth in UW single-game history
• Led the Huskies to scores on first eight possessions of the game, with the only non-scoring possession, when UW took a knee to end the game (on a one-play drive)
• Last Washington Offensive Player of the Week: Jonah Coleman (Sept. 8, 2025)
Defensive Player of the Week
Daniel Wingate, Maryland
LB – Jr. – Bowie, Md. – St. Vincent Pallotti
• Led Maryland with 11 tackles, 1.0 sacks,1.5 TFLs & 1 QBH as the Terps held Wisconsin to just 10 points
• Wingate leads the Big Ten in total tackles with 39 (fifth nationally), recording 10+ tackles in three of four games this season
• Led a Terps defense that has allowed just 46 points through four games, Maryland’s lowest since 2013
• Teams have scored only 50% of the time they’ve reached Maryland’s red zone, ranking third nationally
• Last Maryland Defensive Player of theWeek honoree: Dante Trader Jr. (Sept. 16, 2024)
Co-Special Teams Players of the Week
Kaden Wetjen, Iowa
WR – Gr. – Williamsburg, Iowa – Williamsburg
• Tied an Iowa record with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown on the game’s opening kickoff in the 38-28 road win at Rutgers
• It is the sixth 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in school history and the second of Wetjen’s career, making him the second Hawkeye to return an opening kickoff for a touchdown (C.J. Jones vs.USC in the 2003 Orange Bowl)
• He is now tied for the most career kickoff returns for a touchdown in school history (2) and his four career combined return touchdowns (two punt, two kickoff) are tied for the second-most all-time
• Marked his second straight and fifth career game with 100+ return yards
• Last Iowa Special Teams Players of theWeek: Kaden Wetjen (Sept.15, 2025)
Dominic Zvada, Michigan
K – Sr. – Chandler, Ariz. – Valley Christian
• Converted field goals of 21, 46, 56 yards in Michigan’s 30-27 victory against Nebraska
• His 56 yarder matches his career long, both at Michigan and as a collegian
• Has hit 56 yards four times in his career, three at Michigan
• Improved to 8-for-8 in his career from 50-plus yards
• Last Michigan Special Teams Players of the Week: Dominic Zvada (Dec. 2, 2024)
Freshman of the Week
Malik Washington, Maryland
QB – Glen Burnie, Md. – Archbishop Spalding
• Threw for 265-yards and accounted for three touchdowns with zero interceptions in Maryland’s 27-10 win at Wisconsin
• His 62-yard touchdown pass to Shaleak Knotts was the longest of his career
• Malik’s 1,038 passing yards are the most for any A4 conferences true freshman QB since Jayden Daniels with 1073 in 2019
• Malik is the first Big Ten QB to throw for 250+ yards in his first four career games this century
• Last Maryland Freshman of the Week: Malik Washington (Sept. 1, 2025)
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
