ROSEMONT, Ill. – Following Week 10 contests, the Big Ten Conference Football Players of the Week were announced Monday. Below are this week’s honorees: 
 
Offensive Player of the Week 
Ty Dieffenbach, UCLA
QB – Sr. – Calabasas, Calif. – Agoura

• Led No. 5-ranked UCLA to a 34-20 win at Minnesota on Saturday, pushing the Bruins to 9-0 for the fourth time ever and first time since 1998
• Passed for a career-high 303 yards and tied a career high with three touchdown passes
• Connected with Aidan Mizell on back-to-back 75-yard touchdown strikes on consecutive offensive snaps for UCLA
• Dieffenbach is the only FBS player since at least 1995 to throw for 300+ passing yards on eight completions
• Last UCLA Offensive Player of the Week: Nico Iamaleava (Oct. 6, 2025)

  
Defensive Player of the Week
NiJhay Burt, Michigan State
CB– RS-Sr. – Homestead, Pa. – Steel Valley

• Registered a season-high six tackles, adding one interception, one forced fumble and one pass break up to help MSU to a 15-6 win at Michigan to reclaim the Paul Bunyan Trophy
• His interception was his first of the season and also his first in his two seasons at Michigan State
• Led the Michigan State defense to holding Michigan to just six points Saturday night, 15 points below the Wolverines’ season scoring average
• Helped limit Michigan to just 54 yards rushing, a new season-low for the Wolverines, after their previous low of 57 yards vs. Indiana
• Last Michigan State Defensive Player of the Week honoree: Jordan Hall (Sept. 8, 2025)

 
Special Teams Player of the Week 
Liam Boyd, Michigan State
K – Gr. – Asheville, N.C. – Asheville

• Went 5-of-5 on field goals, scoring all 15 of the Spartans’ points in Saturday’s victory at Michigan, single-handedly out-scoring the Wolverines to help capture the Paul Bunyan Trophy
• Boyd’s five field goals tied the most in a Big Ten game and his 15 points were the most scored by a visiting player of any kind in a Big Ten game this season
• Tied his career-high with the five goals, matching his five upright splits in the season-opener vs. Toledo (9/4)
• Finished the game with makes from 21, 37, 38, 24 and a game-long 49 yards
• Last Michigan State Special Teams Player of the Week honoree: Alante Brown (Dec. 1, 2025) 

 
Freshman of the Week 
Ryan Hopkins, Wisconsin
QB – Newport Beach, Calif. – Mater Dei

• The true freshman quarterback made his first career start on Saturday in Wisconsin’s 31-10 win vs. Rutgers
• Recorded 241 yards and three scores on 18-of-24 passing, with his 241 passing yards tying for the third most for a Badger freshman in their debut since 1990
• Hopkins’ three passing touchdowns were the most by any freshman in the nation this week and his 200.6 passer rating led all FBS freshmen in week 10 action
• Threw scores of 66, 21 and 11 yards, all to different Badger receivers, with eight different Badgers catching passes in the win
• Last Wisconsin Freshman of the Week: Mason Posa (Nov. 10, 2025)

 
 
2026 Big Ten Football Players of the Week
Sept. 7
O: Jayden Maiava, QB, R-Sr., USC
D: Caleb Bacon, DE, R-Sr., PSU
D: Ta’Shawn James, DB, Sr., UCLA
ST: Javon Tracy, WR, 5th-Yr., MINN
F: Jamal Rule, RB, Fr., NEB
 
Sept. 14
O: Anthony Colandrea, QB, Sr., NEB
D: John Henry Daley, DE, Sr., MICH
ST: Caden Buhr, PK, So., IOWA
F: Mark Bowman, TE, Fr., USC
 
Sept. 21
O: Aidan Chiles, QB, Sr., NU
D: Sammy Omosigho, LB, Sr., UCLA
ST: Caden Chittenden, K, R-So., USC
F: Riley Wormley, RB, R-Fr., USC
 
Sept. 28
O: Jeremiah Smith, WR, Jr., OSU
D: Maverick Baranowski, LB, 5th-Yr., MINN
ST: Luke Drzewiecki, K, 5th-Yr., MINN
F: Braeden Jackson, RB, R-Fr., IOWA
 
Oct. 5
O: Jeremiah Smith, WR, Jr., OSU
O: Colton Joseph, QB, Sr., WIS
D: Braydon Brus, LB, Gr., NU
ST: Jacobo Echeverria Lozano, K, Fr., PUR
F: Luke Wafle, DE, Fr., USC
 
Oct. 12
O: Fame Ijeboi, RB, So., PUR
D: Jalen Woods, LB, 5th-Yr., UCLA
ST: Ethan Moczulski, K, 5th-Yr., ILL
F: Trent Mosley, WR, Fr., USC
 
Oct. 19
O: KJ Duff, WR, Jr., RU
D: Chris Bracy, S, Jr., MICH
ST: Gage Hurych, K, Jr., ORE
F: Jay Timmons, CB, Fr., OSU
 
Oct. 26
O: Aidan Chiles, QB, Sr., NU
D: Sebastian Cheeks, OLB, 5th-Yr., WIS
ST: Luke Drzewiecki, K, 5th-Yr., MINN
F: Michael Clayton II, QB, Fr., ILL
 
Nov. 2
O: Hank Brown, QB, Sr., IOWA
D: Alex McLaughlin, S, Sr., WASH
ST: Paddy McAteer, K, 5th-Yr., IND
ST: Luke Drzewiecki, K, 5th-Yr., MINN
F: Tommy Carr, QB, Fr., MICH
 
Nov. 9
O: Ty Dieffenbach, QB, Sr., UCLA
D: NiJhay Burt, CB, RS-Sr., MSU
ST: Liam Boyd, K, Gr., MSU
F: Ryan Hopkins, QB, Fr., WIS