Michigan State, UCLA and Wisconsin Earn Weekly Football Honors
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