Iowa, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin Earn Weekly Football Honors

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Following Week 13 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 

Preston Stone, Northwestern

QB – Gr. – Dallas, Texas – Parish Episcopal

• Went 15-for-15 passing in the second half to overcome a 15-point deficit and 25-of-30 overall for 305 yards and two touchdowns as the Wildcats defeated Minnesota 38-35 to reach bowl eligibility
• Completed 83.3% of his passes, which is tied for the best single-game completion percentage in school history (min. 30 attempts), equaling Mike Kafka (35-42) against Syracuse in 2009
• He is the only Big Ten quarterback to complete at least 15 passes in the second half of a game without an incompletion since at least 2015
• Set a season-high throwing for 305 yards, becoming the first NU quarterback with at least 30 passing attempts, 300 passing yards, an 80% completion rate and no interceptions since Brett Basanez on Nov. 11, 2005, against Illinois
• Last Northwestern Offensive Player of the Week: Bryce Kirtz (Sept. 25, 2023)

Kaytron Allen, Penn State

RB – Sr. – Norfolk, Va. – IMG Academy 

• Recorded 25 carries for 160 yards and two touchdowns in Penn State’s 37-10 win against Nebraska 
• Finished the game with 160 yards and 3,954 career yards to become the all-time career rushing yards leader at Penn State, passing Evan Royster (3,932; 2007-10)
• Allen is now 46 yards away from becoming the 23rd Big Ten player, since 1956, to reach 4,000 career rushing yards
• Scored on a three-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter and added a 13-yard touchdown rush in the fourth quarter
• With 38 career rushing touchdowns, Allen is tied with Lydell Mitchell (38; 1969-71) for third all-time at Penn State
• Last Penn State Offensive Player of the Week: Kaytron Allen (Nov. 17, 2025)

Defensive Player of the Week

Darryl Peterson, Wisconsin 

OL – Gr. – Akron, Ohio – Archbishop Hoban

• Recorded six tackles, three sacks, a forced fumble, two PBUs and two QB hurries in Wisconsin’s win against No. 21 Illinois 
• Peterson’s three-sack performance was the first for a Badger player since Nick Herbig in 2021 and he’s the first to notch three sacks and a forced fumble
• He’s the first FBS player since 2023 (Andrew Chatfield, UCLA) to post 3+ sacks, 2+ PBUs and force a fumble
• Now has 5.5 sacks over the last two games, which is the most of any FBS player
• Last Wisconsin Defensive Player of the Week honoree: Cooper Catalano (Nov. 10, 2025)

Special Teams Player of the Week 

Kaden Wetjen, Iowa

KR/WR – Gr. – Williamsburg, Iowa – Williamsburg

• Recorded a 62-yard punt return for a touchdown in Iowa's 20-17 win against Michigan State, his third punt return touchdown this season
• His three punt return touchdowns are tied for the third-most in Big Ten history and it is his sixth career return touchdown, the most in Iowa history
• Finished the game with 165 combined return yards, his sixth career game with 100+ yards, including a 40-yard return to set up Iowa's game-tying touchdown
• Wetjen is the first player in Big Ten history with three punt return touchdowns and a kick return touchdown in a single season
• Last Iowa Special Teams Player of the Week honoree: Kaden Wetjen (Sept. 15, 2025) 

Freshman of the Week 

Bo Jackson, Ohio State 

RB – Cleveland, Ohio – Villa Angela-St. Joseph

• Rushed for 110 yards and scored two touchdowns to lead a 254-yard, four-touchdown ground assault by the Buckeyes in their 42-9 victory over Rutgers 
• Had a career-high 19 carries and scored from 15 and 10 yards out
• Marked his second consecutive 100-yard rushing game, third in his last four games and fifth on the season
• Last Ohio State Freshman of the Week: Julian Sayin (Nov. 3, 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

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

Oct. 27

O: Justice Haynes, MICH

O: Denzel Boston, WASH

D: Jimmy Rolder, MICH

ST: Kenneth Williams, NEB

ST: Jai Patel, RU

F: Jordon Davison, ORE

Nov. 3

O: Luke Altmyer, ILL

O: Jordan Marshall, MICH

D: Arvell Reese, OSU

ST: Ryon Sayeri, USC

F: Julian Sayin, OSU

Nov. 10

O: Emmett Johnson, NEB

D: Cooper Catalano, WIS

ST: Atticus Sappington, ORE

F: TJ Lateef, NEB

F: Mason Posa, WIS

Nov. 17

O: Fernando Mendoza, IND

O: Kaytron Allen, PSU

D: Dani Dennis-Sutton, PSU

ST: Ryon Sayeri, USC

F: Andrew Marsh, MICH

Nov. 24

O: Preston Stone, NU

O: Kaytron Allen, PSU

D: Darryl Peterson, WIS

ST: Kaden Wetjen, IOWA

F: Bo Jackson, OSU