September 27, 2021

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Following Week 4, the Co-Offensive, Defensive, and Special Teams Players of the Week, and the Freshman of the Week in the Big Ten were announced this morning. Below are this week’s honorees:

Co-Offensive Player of the Week

Sean Clifford, Penn State

QB – Sr. – Cincinnati, Ohio – Saint Xavier (Ohio)

• Threw for a career-high 401 yards and a career-high-tying four touchdowns in Penn State’s 38-17 win vs. Villanova. Now ranks fifth all-time in Penn State history with 5,890 career passing yards and second with 49 career passing touchdowns
• Joined Christian Hackenberg (454 yards vs. UCF in 2014) as the only quarterbacks in Nittany Lion history to throw for more than 400 yards in a game
• Connected on touchdown passes of 83, 52, 52 and 23 yards
• Is one of just 10 FBS quarterbacks to pass for more than 400 yards in a game in 2021
• Earns the first Offensive Player of the Week accolade of his career
• Last Penn State Offensive Player of the Week: KJ Hamler (Oct. 21, 2019)

Co-Offensive Player of the Week

Evan Hull, Northwestern

RB – So. – Maple Grove, Minn. – Maple Grove (Minn.)

• Rushed for 216 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries (9.8 avg.) in Northwestern’s 35-6 win over Ohio. Hull’s 216 yards are the seventh-most by an FBS player and the third most by a Big Ten player this season
• Scored on a career-long 90-yard run in the first quarter, marking the Wildcats’ longest play from scrimmage since Jeremy Ebert’s 90-yard touchdown reception vs. Rice on Nov. 12, 2011
• Hull’s 90-yard touchdown run was just the second 90-plus yard touchdown run by an FBS player this season and the fourth 90-plus yard run in Northwestern history. The last time a Wildcat recorded a 90-plus yard run was Sept. 30, 1961 (Bill Swingle 95 yards vs. Boston College)
• Earns his first career Offensive Player of the Week accolade; was named Freshman of the Week on Nov. 18, 2019
• Last Northwestern Offensive Player of the Week: Flynn Nagel (Oct. 15, 2018)

Defensive Player of the Week

Jack Campbell, Iowa

LB – Jr. – Cedar Falls, Iowa – Cedar Falls (Iowa)

• Led the Hawkeyes defense with a career-high 18 tackles in Iowa’s 24-14 win vs. Colorado State. Registered the most tackles in a single game by an Iowa player since Anthony Hitchens recorded 19 tackles against Iowa State in 2019
• Added three pass breakups and recovered a fumble at the Colorado State 6-yard line in the third quarter. The fumble recovery led to a Hawkeyes touchdown
• Campbell’s 18 tackles are the second most by an FBS player in 2021, trailing only Baylon Spector’s (Clemson) 19 tackles vs. N.C. State (Sept. 25, 2021)
• Earns the first Defensive Player of the Week honor of his career
• Last Iowa Defensive Player of the Week: Riley Moss (Sept. 6, 2021)

Special Teams Player of the Week

Jayden Reed, Michigan State

WR – Jr. – Naperville, Ill. – Naperville Central (Ill.)

• With Michigan State trailing Nebraska 20-13 late in the fourth quarter, returned a punt 62 yards for a touchdown to tie the game. The Spartans went on to defeat the Cornhuskers 23-20 in overtime
• The 62-yard return marked Michigan State’s first punt return for a touchdown since Keshawn Martin returned a punt 57 yards for a score at Northwestern on Nov. 26, 2011
• Finished the game with 192 all-purpose yards (69 kick return, 62 punt return, 59 receiving and two rushing) and hauled in a 35-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter. Also returned a kick 41 yards in the first half to set up a field goal
• Garners the first Special Teams Player of the Week honor of his career
• Last Michigan State Special Teams Player of the Week: Matt Coghlin (Nov. 30, 2020)

Freshman of the Week

Kyle McCord, Ohio State

QB – Mt. Laurel, N.J. – St. Joseph’s Prep (Pa.)

• Completed 13 of 18 passes for 319 yards (24.5 avg.) and two touchdowns in Ohio State’s 59-7 win over Akron
• Set a new Ohio State record for passing yards by a quarterback in his first start, surpassing Dwayne Haskins’ 313 yards vs. Oregon State on Sept. 1, 2018
• Became just the fourth true freshman to start a game at quarterback for the Buckeyes
• Earns the first Freshman of the Week honor of his career
• Last Ohio State Freshman of the Week: TreVeyon Henderson (Sept. 20, 2021)

2021 Big Ten Football Players of the Week

Aug. 30

O: Artur Sitkowski, So., QB, ILL

D: Calvin Hart Jr., So., LB, ILL

S: Blake Hayes, Sr., P, ILL

F: Deuce Spann, WR, ILL

Sept. 6

O: Kenneth Walker III, Jr., RB, MSU

D: Riley Moss, Sr., DB, IOWA

S: Jordan Stout, Sr., K/P, PSU

F: C.J. Stroud, QB, OSU

Sept. 13

O: Blake Corum, So., RB, MICH

D: Luke Reimer, So., LB, NEB

S: Adam Korsak, Sr., P, RU

S: Tory Taylor, So., P, IOWA

F: C.J. Stroud, QB, OSU

Sept. 20

O: Payton Thorne, So., QB, MSU

O: TreVeyon Henderson, Fr., RB, OSU

D: Brandon Smith, Jr., LB, PSU

S: Aron Cruickshank, Jr., WR, RU

S: Joseph Petrino, Sr., K, MD

F: TreVeyon Henderson, RB, OSU

Sept. 27

O: Sean Clifford, Sr., QB, PSU

O: Evan Hull, So., RB, NU

D: Jack Campbell, Jr., LB, IOWA

S: Jayden Reed, Jr., WR, MSU

F: Kyle McCord, QB, OSU

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