USC, Penn State, UCLA, Minnesota and Nebraska Earn Weekly Football Honors

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Following Week 1 contests, the Big Ten Conference Football Players of the Week were announced Monday. Below are this week’s honorees: 

 Offensive Player of the Week
Jayden Maiava, USC
QB – R-Sr. – Palolo, Hawaii – Liberty
• Went 23-of-25 for 349 yards and three touchdowns in USC’s 39-0 shutout of Fresno State
• His 92.0 percent completion rate is the highest single-game completion percentage by a Trojan quarterback since at least 1995 (minimum 25 attempts)
• Finished against San Jose State going 25-of-29 for 286 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Also had one TD on the ground
• Ranks second among USC quarterbacks in the last 30 seasons with the most career games with 200+ passing yards, one passing TD and one rushing TD
• Has thrown no interceptions and only six incompletions through two games
• Last USC Offensive Player of the Week: Jayden Maiava (Sept. 1, 2025) 

Co-Defensive Player of the Week
Caleb Bacon, Penn State
DE – R-Sr. – Lake Mills, Iowa – Lake Mills
• Recorded six tackles, all in the first half of a 45-0 win over Marshall
• Tied his career high with three tackles for loss
• Had a pair of solo tackles for loss on back-to-back plays and had a solo sack
• Last Penn State Defensive Player of the Week: Dani Dennis-Sutton (Nov. 17, 2025) 

Co-Defensive Player of the Week
Ta’Shawn James, UCLA
DB – Sr. – Oklahoma City, Okla. – Carl Albert
• Secured a pair of critical interceptions that helped break a 24-24 draw as UCLA outscored California 21-0 in the fourth quarter
• Earned the first two picks of his career in his Bruin debut
• Added eight tackles, the third-most on the squad and most among the secondary
• Last UCLA Defensive Player of the Week: Carson Schwesinger (Nov. 11, 2024) 

Special Teams Player of the Week
Javon Tracy, Minnesota
WR – 5th-Yr. – Indianapolis, Ind. – Decatur Central
• Became the first Gopher ever and fourth player in Big Ten history to score two punt return touchdowns in a game
• First to accomplish the feat in his first career game returning punts
• Set a school record with 167 yards on four returns against Eastern Illinois
• Brought back his first return 87 yards, the second-longest in program history, for a touchdown and added a 69-yard return score in the third quarter
• Last Minnesota Special Teams Player of the Week: Dragan Kesich (Nov. 4, 2024) 

Freshman of the Week
Jamal Rule, Nebraska
RB – Fr. – Salisbury, N.C. – Charlotte Christian
• Accounted for 169 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns in his collegiate debut versus Ohio
• Had 122 rushing yards, marking the first time a true freshman Husker running back topped the century mark in a season opener in 22 seasons
• Tallied two rushing touchdowns and scored on a 24-yard pass reception
• Became just the sixth Big Ten freshman since 1995 to have two rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown in a game and the first since 2021
• Last Nebraska Freshman of the Week: TJ Lateef (Nov. 10, 2025) 

2026 Big Ten Football Players of the Week
Sept. 7
O: Jayden Maiava, QB, R-Sr., USC
Co-D: Caleb Bacon, DE, R-Sr., PSU
Co-D: Ta’Shawn James, DB, Sr., UCLA
ST: Javon Tracy, WR, 5th-Yr., MINN
F: Jamal Rule, RB, Fr., NEB