IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa return specialist Kaden Wetjen earned Big Ten Co-Special Teams Player of the Week honors following his effort in the Hawkeyes’ 38-28 road victory at Rutgers, the announcement was made Monday by the league office. He shares the weekly honor with Michigan’s Dominic Zvada.

Wetjen (5-foot-9, 196 pounds) amassed a game-best 183 all-purpose yards, including tying an Iowa record with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown on the opening kickoff. The 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown is the sixth in school history and the second of Wetjen’s career. He is the second Hawkeye to return an opening kickoff for a touchdown (C.J. Jones vs. USC in the 2003 Orange Bowl). It is Wetjen’s second career 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown (2024 Music City Bowl vs. Missouri) and it is the 45th 100-yard return for a touchdown in Big Ten history (25th in a league game and first since 2023).

Wetjen, who was last week’s Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week, has four career combined return touchdowns (two punt, two kickoff), which ties Kahlil Hill for the second-most all-time (Tim Dwight, 5). It marked the second straight week that Wetjen returned a kick for a score (95-yard punt return vs. UMass on Sept. 13). Wetjen has returned both a punt and kickoff for a touchdown each of the last two seasons.

In addition to the 100-yard kickoff return, the 2024 Jet Award recipient also had a 43-yard punt return and a 24-yard kickoff return. It marked Wetjen’s second straight and fifth career game with 100+ return yards.

It is the third of Wetjen’s career as he was also honored once during the 2024 season.

Iowa (3-1, 1-0) returns home on Saturday, hosting No. 11/12 Indiana (4-0, 1-0) on Homecoming. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. (CT) on Duke Slater Field at Kinnick Stadium. The game will be seen on Peacock and broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network.