Maryland, Minnesota, Rutgers and Wisconsin Earn Weekly Football Honors
Following Week 3 contests, the Big Ten Conference Offensive, Defensive, and Special Teams Players of the Week, and the Freshman of the Week were announced this morning. Below are this week's honorees:
Offensive Player of the Week
Kyle Monangai, Rutgers
RB – Jr. – Roseland, N.J. – Don Bosco Prep
- Rushed for 143 yards and a career-high three touchdowns on 16 carries (8.9 yards per carry) in the Scarlet Knights’ 35-16 win against Virginia Tech, marking the first time a Scarlet Knight topped 100 rushing yards in consecutive games since 2016
- Ripped off a 55-yard touchdown in a one-score game in the fourth quarter, his longest career carry and longest by a Scarlet Knight since 2020
- The three rushing scores were the most by a Rutgers player in a game since 2019 and his 357 yards this season leads the Big Ten through three weeks
- The two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree earns his first career Offensive Player of the Week award
- Last Rutgers Offensive Player of the Week: Gary Nova (Dec. 1, 2014)
Defensive Player of the Week
Hunter Wohler, Wisconsin
S – Jr. – Muskego, Wis. – Muskego
- Picked off two passes in Wisconsin's 35-14 win over Georgia Southern and made a team-high 10 tackles, including a sack, to become the first Badger to pick off two passes in a game since John Torchio vs. Purdue on Oct. 22, 2022
- Recorded 10 tackles to improve his streak of 10+ tackles per game to three straight games, becoming the first Badger to do so since Leo Chenal in 2021
- Just the second player in the country and first in the Big Ten this season to record two interceptions and a sack in the same game
- The Academic All-Big Ten honoree earns the first Defensive Player of the Week accolade of his career
- Last Wisconsin Defensive Player of the Week: John Torchio (Oct. 24, 2022)
Special Teams Player of the Week
Braedan Wisloski, Maryland
WR – Fr. – Elysburg, Pa. – Southern Columbia Area
- Jumpstarted Maryland to scoring 42 consecutive points by taking a kickoff return 98 yards for a touchdown in Maryland's win over Virginia
- It was Wisloski's first career touchdown and it marked the first time a Terp returned a kickoff for a touchdown since Javon Leake had a 97-yard score against Michigan on Nov. 2, 2019
- Marked the longest kickoff return for a Maryland player since Leake equaled a school record with a 100-yard return at Rutgers on Oct. 5, 2019
- Garners the first Special Teams Player of the Week honor of his career
- Last Maryland Special Teams Player of the Week: Chad Ryland (Nov. 28, 2022)
Freshman of the Week
Darius Taylor, Minnesota
RB – Detroit, Mich. – Walled Lake Western
- Made his first career start at running back for the Gophers at North Carolina, finishing the game with 22 carries for 138 yards and a touchdown, while adding a 25-yard reception
- After running for 193 yards last week against Eastern Michigan, Taylor became the first Gopher true freshman to run for 100+ yards in consecutive weeks since Laurence Maroney did so in November of 2003
- His two-yard touchdown run with 0:30 left in the first half at North Carolina was his second in as many games
- Earns the second Freshman of the Week honor of his career
- Last Minnesota Freshman of the Week: Darius Taylor (Sept. 11, 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