Around The Big Ten – November 5

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FOOTBALL

Co-Offensive Players of the Week

Luke Altmyer, Illinois

QB – Sr. – Starkville, Miss. – Starkville

• Recorded 323 total yards (235 passing, 88 rushing) and a career-high five total touchdowns (4 passing, 1 rushing) in Illinois’ 35-13 win vs. Rutgers
• First Illini to total five touchdowns since 2013 and tied his career high with four passing touchdowns, his third career game with four touchdown passes
• Led Illinois to its sixth win, becoming bowl eligible in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2010-11
• Last Illinois Offensive Player of the Week: Luke Altmyer (Sept. 29, 2025)

Jordan Marshall, Michigan

RB – So. – Cincinnati, Ohio – Archbishop Moeller

• Earned career highs in rushing yards (185) and touchdowns (3) in the win against Purdue, his fourth career and third-straight game of 100 or more rushing yards
• His 185 rushing yards tie the most by a Michigan ball carrier since Donovan Edwards posted the same total against Purdue in the 2022 Big Ten Championship game
• His first-quarter 54-yard touchdown run was his third touchdown of 50 or more yards this season
• The play came immediately after he caught a 25-yard pass – the longest receiving play of his career
• Last Michigan Offensive Player of the Week: Justice Haynes (Oct. 27, 2025)

Defensive Player of the Week

Arvell Reese, Ohio State

LB – Jr. – Cleveland, Ohio – Glenville

• Led the Ohio State defensive effort in the win over Penn State with career-highs of 12 tackles and 2.5 tackles-for-loss with one sack
• Leads the Buckeyes with 54 tackles on the season and is second in TFLs (9-44) and quarterback sacks (6.5-41)
• Helped Ohio State limit the Nittany Lions to 200 yards of total offense for the game with minus-21 rushing yards in the second half and just 60 total second half yards
• Last Ohio State Defensive Player of the Week honoree: Caden Curry (Sept. 29, 2025)

Special Teams Player of the Week

Ryon Sayeri, USC

K – Fr. – West Hills, Calif. – Chaminade

• In USC’s 21-17 victory over Nebraska, Sayeri scored eight points for the Trojans with two field goals (49 and 24 yards) and two PATs
• He also tallied five kickoffs for 323 yards (64.6 avg.) and a pair of touchbacks
• Improved to 4-of-4 in field goals versus ranked AP opponents, and he’s 5-of-5 over 40+ yards
• He’s scored 76 total points this season and recorded 46 touchbacks, which rank third and first in the Big Ten, respectively
• First USC Special Teams Player of the Week

Freshman of the Week

Julian Sayin, Ohio State

QB – Carlsbad, Calif. – Carlsbad

• For the third time this season, Sayin threw for over 300 yards (316), completed at least 80% of his passes (20-23; .869) with at least three touchdowns (4) and no interceptions to lead Ohio State to a 38-14 victory over Penn State Saturday at Ohio Stadium
• Recorded two 57-yard completions on the afternoon and in the process increased his nation’s best completion percentage to 80.7%
• Joins West Virginia’s Geno Smith in 2012 as the only quarterbacks to hit the 300-plus yards, complete at least 80% of his passes with at least three touchdowns and no interceptions stat line in the last 30 years
• Last Ohio State Freshman of the Week: Julian Sayin (Oct. 20, 2025)

VOLLEYBALL

Player of the Week 
London Wijay, USC 
RS-So. – OH – Porter Ranch, Calif. 

• Led USC to a 2-0 week with a 3-0 win vs. UCLA and a 3-2 victory at No. 20 Minnesota. USC is on a season-long six-match win streak
• Reached a career-high with 25 kills (25-2-52), while hitting .365 at Minnesota, adding 12 digs for her fourth double-double of the season and 13^th of her career
• Matched her career-high with 26.5 points at Minnesota with 25 kills, a service ace and a block
• Tallied 11 kills and seven digs in the 3-0 win against UCLA
• Averaged 4.50 kills per set, a .346 hitting percentage, 2.38 digs per set, and 4.88 points per set this week
• Last USC Player of the Week: London Wijay (Oct. 20, 2025)

Defensive Player of the Week 
Rebekah Allick, Nebraska 
Sr. – MB – Lincoln, Neb.  

• Totaled 11 blocks (1.83 per set) in Nebraska’s sweeps at No. 11 Wisconsin and vs. Oregon over the weekend
• Had six blocks at Wisconsin to help the top-ranked Huskers limit the nation’s No. 2-ranked offense to a .175 hitting percentage
• Against Oregon on Sunday, Allick had five blocks, including one solo, with five kills on .444 hitting
• Became the fifth Husker in the rally-scoring era to surpass 500 career blocks
• Added 2.00 kills per set on a .500 hitting percentage
• Last Nebraska Defensive Player of the Week: Andi Jackson (Oct. 20, 2025)

Co-Setter of the Week  
Bergen Reilly, Nebraska 
Jr. – S – Sioux Falls, S.D. 

• Led the Nebraska offense to a 2-0 week with a pair of sweeps at No. 11 Wisconsin and vs. Oregon
• The Huskers hit a combined .372 in the two wins, with Reilly setting five different Huskers to at least 2.00 kills per set, all with hitting percentages at .265 or higher
• At Wisconsin, Reilly had 38 assists, eight digs, four blocks and three kills as the Huskers hit .349 against the second-best defensive team in the Big Ten. It was the highest hitting percentage allowed by Wisconsin since September 2022
• Against the Ducks, Reilly finished with 26 assists, five digs, two kills and a block as Nebraska hit .405, its third-best efficiency of the season
• Averaged 10.67 assists per set and 2.17 digs per set, also recording five kills and five blocks in the two wins
• For the season, Reilly has the Huskers on a school-record pace with a .339 team hitting percentage, which leads the nation
• Last Nebraska Setter of the Week: Bergen Reilly (Oct. 6, 2025)

Co-Setter of the Week  
Reese Messer, USC 
Fr. – S – Olathe, Kan. 

• Led USC to a combined .349 hitting in a pair of wins vs. UCLA (3-0) and No. 20 Minnesota (3-2)
• Collected a career-high 54 assists against Minnesota, reaching a career-high with 10.0 points and matched career marks with five blocks and three service aces in the win over the Gophers
• Recorded her ninth double-double of the season with 42 assists and 13 digs in a 3-0 sweep of UCLA while setting the Trojans to .285 hitting
• Averaged 12.00 assists per set and 2.75 digs per set in the two wins
• Last USC Setter of the Week: Mia Tuaniga (Nov. 4, 2024)

Freshman of the Week 
Jaidyn Jager, Indiana 
OH – Carlsbad, Calif.   

• Helped Indiana to a 2-0 week with a 3-0 win at Maryland and a 3-0 win at No. 19 Penn State. It was Indiana’s first-ever road win over Penn State in program history
• Had a double-double in both victories, including 10 kills and 13 digs at Maryland at an efficient .318 hitting percentage and 14 kills and 12 digs at Penn State with a .393 clip
• Hit .360 in the pair of wins, averaging 4.00 kills/set and 4.17 digs per set across the two wins
• Last Indiana Freshman of the Week: Teodora Kričković (Oct. 6, 2025)

HOCKEY

First Star
Blake Montgomery, Wisconsin
Fr. – F – Bowie, Md. — London (OHL)
2024 NHL Draft: 4th Rd, 117th overall, Ottawa

• Scored three goals in No. 14/14 Wisconsin’s first home sweep of No. 19/18 Minnesota since 2014
• Gave Wisconsin a lead it didn’t relinquished with a second period tally in Thursday’s 5-2 victory
• Netted goals 21 seconds apart in the third period to solidify a 4-0 win on Saturday
• Is the first Badger freshman to be named First Star since K’Andre Miller on Dec. 4, 2018
• Last Wisconsin First Star: Christian Fitzgerald (Jan. 28, 2025)

Second Star
JJ Wiebusch, Penn State
So. – F – Verona, Wis. – Sioux Falls (USHL)

• Contributed two goals and an assist in No. 4/4 Penn State’s road sweep of No. 17/17 Ohio State to open the conference schedule
• Extended his goal-scoring streak to five games with power play markers both nights against the Buckeyes
• Leads the NCAA in goals (11) and ranks second in total points (18)
• Earns his second Star Award of the season, was named First Star on Oct. 14
• His selection marks the fifth-straight week a Penn State skater has received a Star Award

Third Star
Will Horcoff, Michigan
So. – F – Birmingham, Mich. – U.S. National Team Development Program
2025 NHL Draft: 1st Rd, 24th overall, Pittsburgh

• Led No. 2/2 Michigan with three goals in a road sweep of Notre Dame to open conference play
• Scored the overtime game-winning goal on Saturday, completing a come-from-behind win for the Wolverines
• Found the back of the net twice (giving Michigan a 2-0 lead) in a 5-3 win on Friday
• The USNTDP product captures his first Big Ten weekly honor
• Becomes the third different Wolverine to earn a Star Award this season