Big Ten names Players of the Week after Week 9

Top-ranked Oregon clobbered then-No. 20 Illinois. Penn State is still No. 3 after overcoming an injury to quarterback Drew Allar and rallying past Wisconsin.

Ohio State stayed put at No. 4 after surviving a serious scare from Nebraska. Indiana, still No. 13, didn’t have its starting quarterback against Washington, but backup Tayven Jackson stepped up in place of Kurtis Rourke and helped the Hoosiers remain perfect on the year.

A lot happened across the 18-team Big Ten, and not just in those games. In fact, three of the four top performers the conference recognized Monday were playing in other contests throughout the league.

The Big Ten handed out Offensive Player of the Week, Defensive Player of the Week, Special Teams Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week accolades. On3 is highlighting each of those honorees and their Week 9 outings.

Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week: Minnesota QB Max Brosmer

After flirting with an upset win at Michigan in The Big House, Minnesota has rattled off three consecutive wins: first a 24-17 triumph over then-No. 11 USC, then a 21-17 victory at UCLA and now a 48-23 beatdown of Maryland. Sixth-year quarterback and University of New Hampshire transfer Max Brosmer is finding his groove. He’s completed north of 70% of his passes in each of those games and hasn’t thrown an interception during that span. While earning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week, Brosmer recorded four touchdown passes and 320 passing yards, both season highs.

Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week: Indiana CB D’Angelo Ponds

Indiana sophomore cornerback D’Angelo Ponds notched the first multi-interception game of his career and, in turn, earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors. Both of his picks took place in the first half of a 31-17 win over Washington, the first one culminating in a 67-yard pick-six that put the Hoosiers on the board and opened the game’s scoring gates. Ponds’ second interception set the stage for Indiana’s second scoring drive. What’s interesting is that the James Madison transfer is just the sixth Hoosiers defensive back to win Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week since the award debuted in 1987.

Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week: Iowa WR Kaden Wetjen

Iowa wide receiver and return specialist Kaden Wetjen amassed 176 return yards in a 40-14 win over Northwestern. Wetjen ripped off an 85-yard punt return touchdown in the third quarter. Not only was his house call a career-long return, but it also marked the seventh-longest punt return touchdown in Hawkeyes history. The senior is the first Iowa player since at least 1978 to log at least 100 kickoff and punt return yards in three straight games, and he’s the first Big Ten player to do it since Maryland’s Javon Leake in 2019.

Big Ten Freshman of the Week: S Koi Perich

No Big Ten player has more interceptions this season than Minnesota safety Koi Perich — and he’s only a freshman. The first-year Golden Gophers defensive back has five picks to his name, including four in his last three outings. Perich, who was also named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after his two-interception performance at UCLA on Oct. 12, is the seventh player in program history to stitch together three consecutive games with at least one interception. Perich returned his interception against Maryland 45 yards, leading to a Minnesota field goal that put the Gophers up 24-0 in the second quarter. Additionally, he made three tackles and took back a trio of punts for a total of 31 yards, including one for 20 yards.