Big Ten names Players of the Week after Week 5

Michigan and USC got scares from Minnesota and Wisconsin, respectively. Penn State put a halt to Illinois’ undefeated start. And Ohio State passed its first Big Ten test and its first road test.

Indiana and Rutgers, now a combined 9-0, continued to turn heads. Oregon, meanwhile, kept its foot on the gas, looking more and more like the contender the Ducks were described to be this offseason.

A lot happened across the 18-team Big Ten. And the conference recognized its top performers from the weekend Monday.

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 5 outings.

Big Ten Co-Offensive Players of the Week: Michigan RB Kalel Mullings & Oregon WR Tez Johnson

Once again, the Big Ten named a pair of Offensive Players of the Week: Michigan running back Kalel Mullings and Oregon wide receiver Tez Johnson collected those accolades. Mullings carried the ball 24 times for 111 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-24 win over Minnesota. The graduate back has asserted himself in the Wolverines backfield the last three games, ripping off a 100-yard rushing performance in each one.

Then there’s Johnson, who led Oregon with 11 receptions for a season-high 121 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-13 win at UCLA. In the process, Johnson tallied his second straight 100-yard receiving game. The senior is atop the Ducks’ leaderboard in 2024 with 33 catches, 311 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns. He also housed a punt in a Week 2 win against Boise State, an 85-yard return which awarded him Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week recognition earlier in the month.

Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week: Penn State DE Abdul Carter

Penn State won the battle in the trenches in a 21-7 triumph over Illinois this past weekend, and defensive end Abdul Carter was a big part of that equation. He recorded two of the Nittany Lions’ seven sacks, en route to Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week accolades. Carter coupled one of those sacks with a strip in the final minute of fourth quarter, notching his fourth career forced fumble and sealing the two-touchdown win in front of the Penn State faithful in Beaver Stadium.

Carter rounded out the night with seven tackles, including four solos and four tackles for loss, along with a pass break-up as well as the aforementioned sacks and forced fumble. The junior is now tied for the Big Ten lead with 6.5 TFLs this season.

Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week: Michigan K Dominic Zvada

For the second week in a row, Michigan had the Big Ten’s Special Teams Player of the Week. Last time around, punter Tommy Doman got the nod — in a win over USC, Doman booted five 50-plus-yard punts, a single-game personal best and a feat that hadn’t been achieved by a Michigan punter since at least 1997. This time around, kicker Dominic Zvada earned the league honor.

Zvada drilled 35- and 53-yard field goals, along with three extra points, in the three-point victory over Minnesota. Zvada is now 7-on-7 on the year, including 4-of-4 from 50-plus yards out. He’s converted attempts of 52, 53, 53 and 55 yards this season. SMU’s Collin Rodgers is the only other kicker in college football this year who has made four 50-plus-yard field goals.

Big Ten Freshman of the Week: Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith

Buckeyes freshman phenom wideout Jeremiah Smith broke the internet again, this time with a pair of one-handed catches in a 38-7 win at Michigan State. The first came on a 27-yard pass from starting quarterback Will Howard. Smith elevated between two Spartans defenders and used his right hand to reel the ball in. His left assisted him in securing the reception as he got down in bounds.

Then, later in that same drive, backup quarterback Devin Brown — filling in for Howard, who got the wind knocked out of him the previous play — threw Smith a 17-yard dart. Smith stuck his right hand out and snagged the pass in stride for his second touchdown of the night. He scored earlier on an endaround flip from Howard, which the first-year standout took 19 yards to the house. Smith totaled 102 yards from scrimmage and added two more touchdowns to give him six on the year.