Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Washington Earn Weekly Football Honors

by | Nov 2, 2026 | Football Blogs

Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Washington Earn Weekly Football Honors

Hoosiers’ McAteer, Hawkeyes’ Brown, Wolverines’ Carr, Gophers’ Drzewiecki and Huskies’ McLaughlin garner accolades

 ROSEMONT, Ill. – Following Week 9 contests, the Big Ten Conference Football Players of the Week were announced Monday. Below are this week’s honorees: 
 
Offensive Player of the Week 
Hank Brown, Iowa
QB – Sr. – Nashville, Tenn. – Lipscomb Academy

  • Finished 20-of-24 for 222 yards and two touchdowns in Iowa’s 30-0 Heartland Trophy victory vs. Wisconsin – the fifth straight in the series
  • Finished the first half 16-of-18 for 190 yards and two touchdowns – the most yards by a Hawkeye in the first half of a game since Nate Stanley (212 vs. Illinois) in 2019
  • His 83.3 completion percentage is the highest by any Iowa QB in a Big Ten game (min. 20 attempts) since at least 1995
  • Recorded three completions of 45, 45 and 23 yards – his second game with three 20+ yard completions (at Michigan) this season
  • Last Iowa Offensive Player of the Week: Kaleb Johnson (Nov. 4, 2024)

 
Defensive Player of the Week
Alex McLaughlin, Washington
S– Sr. – Chandler, Ariz. – Hamilton

  • Helped the UW defense limit Nebraska to just 10 points in the Huskies’ come-from-behind, 17-10, victory in Lincoln
  • Registered nine tackles (0.5 tackle for loss) and a pass break up
  • Iced the game with a 48-yard interception return for a touchdown, his second career pick six and the first for Washington in a conference road game since 2017 at Colorado
  • Last Washington Defensive Player of the Week honoree: Russell Davis II (Nov. 18, 2024)

Co-Special Teams Players of the Week 
Paddy McAteer, Indiana
K – 5th Year – Mullaghbawn, Ireland – St. Mary’s University

  • Hit a program-record 60-yard field goal to tie the game at 16-16 with two seconds left in regulation
  • The 60-yard field goal is tied for No. 6 in Big Ten history
  • Prior to Luke Drzewiecki’s 60-yarder moments earlier, McAteer kicked the longest field goals in the Big Ten since Wisconsin’s Zach Hintze in 2019
  • Last Indiana Special Teams Player of the Week honoree: Charles Campbell (Sept. 19, 2022) 

Luke Drzewiecki, Minnesota
K – 5th Year – Shelby Township, Mich. – Utica Eisenhower

  • Connected on three field goals to tie a career high at Indiana
  • His makes were from 37, 51 and a career-long 60 yards
  • Drzewiecki’s 60-yarder was the second longest in school history and the longest ever made outdoors by a Gopher
  • Last Minnesota Special Teams Player of the Week honoree: Luke Drzewiecki (Oct. 26, 2026) 

Freshman of the Week 
Tommy Carr, Michigan
QB – Saline, Mich. – Saline

  • Finished with 266 passing yards and accounted for three total touchdowns (two rushing), including his second and third rushing scores of the year for his first career victory as a starter
  • His passing line of 22-of-27 generated a completion percentage of 81 percent, the highest single-game completion percentage of any freshman starting quarterback in U-M history (minimum 20 attempts)
  • Threw for 184 yards in the first half, the most in the first half by a U-M quarterback since Bryce Underwood posted 185 passing yards at Northwestern last year
  • Last Michigan Freshman of the Week: Andrew Marsh (Nov. 17, 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