Maryland, Indiana, Michigan and Purdue Earn Weekly Football Honors

Following Week 13 contests, the Big Ten Conference Offensive, Defensive, and Special Teams Player of the Week, and the Freshman of the Week were announced this morning. Below are this week's honorees:

Offensive Player of the Week

Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland

QB – Sr. – Ewa Beach, Hawaii – Thompson

• Completed 24 of 31 passes for a season-high 361 yards, accounting for four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) in a 42-24 win at Rutgers

• Became the Big Ten’s all-time leader in passing yardage (excluding postseason games), surpassing Purdue’s Curtis Painter (11,163), ending the game with 11,256 career passing yards

• Saturday was Tagovailoa’s 15th career 300-yard passing game

• Last Maryland Offensive Player of the Week: Taulia Tagovailoa (Oct. 2, 2023)

Defensive Player of the Week

Aaron Casey, Indiana

LB – Sr. – Douglasville, Ga. – Alexander

• Finished with 11 tackles, including nine solo stops, to move his season total to 109, the first Hoosier to post a 100-tackle season since Tegray Scales (126) in 2016

• The 11 stops mark his 11th career double-digit tackle game and sixth of 2023

• Credited with the lone sack of the game for Indiana and also forced a fumble

• Tied a career-high with 4.0 tackles for loss. Casey’s 4.0 tackles for loss moved his career total to 36.0 and into No. 8 overall in Indiana program history

• Last Indiana Defensive Player of the Week: Aaron Casey (Oct. 6, 2023)

Special Teams Player of the Week

James Turner, Michigan

K – Gr. – Ann Arbor, Mich. – Saline

• Converted field goals of 37, 38 and 50 yards, tying his season and Michigan career-best with the 50-yard field goal, his second field goal made of 50-plus yards this season

• Set a new Michigan best with 12 points 

• Last Michigan Special Teams Player of the Week: Jake Moody (Nov. 20, 2022)

Freshman of the Week

Dillon Thieneman, Purdue

DB – Westfield, Ind. – Westfield

• Made two interceptions to set a new school record for interceptions by a freshman in a single season (6), helping Purdue to a 35-31 win over Indiana

• Led the Boilermaker defense with a team-high eight tackles, all solo, breaking Rod Woodson’s school record for solo tackles in a single season. Woodson had 67, Thieneman finished the season with 74

• Recorded his first multi-interception game of his career and first for any Boilermaker this season

• Last Purdue Freshman of the Week: Dillon Thieneman (Nov. 13, 2023)

2023 Big Ten Football Players of the Week

Sept. 5

O: Drew Allar, So., QG, PSU

D: Miles Scott, So., DB, ILL

D: Tyler Nubin, Sr., S, MINN

S: Dragan Kesich, Sr., K, MINN

F: Dillon Thieneman, DB, PUR

Sept. 11

O: Noah Kim, Jr., QB, MSU

D: Sebastian Castro, Sr., DB, IOWA

S: Jai Patel, So., K, RU

F: Darius Taylor, RB, MINN

Sept. 18

O: Kyle Monangai, Jr., RB, RU

D: Hunter Wohler, Jr., S, WIS

S: Braedan Wisloski, Fr., WR, MD

F: Darius Taylor, RB, MINN

Sept. 25

O: Bryce Kirtz, Sr., WR, NU

D: Lathan Ransom, Sr., S, OSU

S: Nathanial Vakos, So., K, WIS

F: Darius Taylor, RB, MINN

Oct. 2

O: Taulia Tagovailoa, Sr., QB, MD

D: Nick Jackson, Gr., LB, IOWA

D: Josaiah Stewart, Jr., EDGE, MICH

S: Cooper DeJean, Jr., DB, IOWA

F: Zach Evans, RB, MINN

Oct. 9

O: Marvin Harrison Jr., Jr., WR, OSU

D: Josh Proctor, Gr., S, OSU

S: Tory Taylor, Sr., P, IOWA

F: Dillon Thieneman, DB, PUR

Oct. 16

O: J.J. McCarthy, Jr., QB, MICH

D: Seth Coleman, Jr., OLB, ILL

S: Tory Taylor, Sr., P, IOWA

S: Daequan Hardy, CB, Sr., PSU

F: Kaden Feagin, RB, ILL

Oct. 23

O: J.J. McCarthy, Jr., QB, MICH

O: Marvin Harrison Jr., Jr., WR, OSU

D: Tyler Nubin, Sr., DB, MINN

S: Dragan Kesich, Sr., K, MINN

F: Braedyn Locke, QB, WIS

Oct. 30

O: Jordan Nubin, So., RB, MINN

D: Aidan Hubbard, Jr., DL, NU

S: Quinton Newsome, Sr., CB, NEB

F: Dillon Thieneman, DB, PUR

Nov. 6

O: Isaiah Williams, Jr., WR, ILL

D: Aaron Casey, Sr., LB, IND

S: Drew Stevens, So., K, IOWA

F: Kaden Feagin, RB, ILL

Nov. 13

O: John Paddock, Sr., QB, ILL

D: Tarheeb Still, Sr., DB, MD

S: Jack Howes, So., K, MD

F: Dillon Thieneman, DB, PUR

Nov. 20

O: Maliq Carr, Jr., TE, MSU

D: Mike Sainristil, Gr., DB, MICH

S: Tory Taylor, Sr., P, IOWA

F: Katin Houser, QB, MSU

Nov. 27

O: Taulia Tagovailoa, Sr., QB, MD

D: Aaron Casey, Sr., LB, IND

S: James Turner, Gr., K, MICH

F: Dillon Thieneman, DB, PUR