Iowa, Ohio State and UCLA Earn Weekly Football Honors
Hawkeyes’ Nwankpa, Buckeyes’ Sayin and Bruins’ Bhaghani garner accolades
ROSEMONT, Ill. – Following Week 8 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 and Freshman of the Week
Julian Sayin, Ohio State
QB – Carlsbad, Calif. – Carlsbad
· Led No. 1 Ohio State to a 34-0 victory at Wisconsin with a career-high 393 yards passing and a career-high tying four touchdown passes
· Completed 36 of 42 passes (85.7 pct.) while completing passes to 10 different players with no interceptions
· He found Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate 15 times for 208 yards and two scores in the process while eclipsing his previous high games for completions and attempts
· Last Ohio State Freshman of the Week: Julian Sayin (Oct. 6, 2025)
Defensive Player of the Week
Xavier Nwankpa, Iowa
DB – Sr. – Pleasant Hill, Iowa – Southeast Polk
· Recorded 10 tackles (seven solo) with an interception and a forced fumble to help the Hawkeyes defeat Penn State
· Had an interception in the second quarter and returned it 28 yards to the 1, marking his first pick since the 2023 season and the third of his career
· With 1:20 on the game clock, Nwankpa came on a delayed blitz, flushing the quarterback from the pocket toward other Hawkeye defenders, forcing an incomplete pass to secure the victory
· Last Iowa Defensive Player of the Week honoree: Aaron Graves (Oct. 14, 2024)
Special Teams Player of the Week
Mateen Bhaghani, UCLA
K – Jr. – San Diego, Calif. – Del Norte
· Connected on 2-of-3 field goals to help UCLA to a 20-17 win against Maryland
· Hit a go-ahead and game-winning field goal from 23 yards out with two seconds remaining in the game, his second game-winning field goal since arriving at UCLA
· Also hit from 42 yards out earlier in the game
· Last UCLA Special Teams Players of the Week: Mateen Bhaghani (Sept. 9, 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
