Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan and Washington Earn Weekly Football Honors

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 the Week 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 the Week: 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

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