IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa return specialist Kaden Wetjen has been named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week following his historic effort in the Hawkeyes’ 20-17 comeback win over Michigan State. The announcement was made Monday by the Big Ten Conference office.

Wetjen finished with 166 combined return yards — his sixth career game with 100+ return yards — and one touchdown against the Spartans. Wetjen’s 147 punt return yards on Saturday moved him past Ramon Ochoa for most career punt return yards (538) in school history. Wetjen’s 17.5 career punt return average (53 returns, 929 yards) is currently No. 1 in Big Ten history.

Wetjen (5-foot-9, 196 pounds) electrified the sold-out Kinnick Stadium crowd with a 62-yard punt return to open the scoring in the first quarter. The return was his fourth of the season (three punt, one kickoff), becoming the first Big Ten player to have at least three punt returns and one kickoff return for a score in the same season. Wetjen’s three punt return touchdowns tie for the second-most in a single season in Big Ten history, joining Michigan’s Gene Derricotte (1947), Iowa’s Tim Dwight (1997) and Nebraska’s De’Mornay Pierson-El (2014).

Saturday’s 62-yard return for a score was Wetjen’s sixth career combined return (four punt, two kickoff) for a touchdown, surpassing Tim Dwight (5) for most in school history. It also marked the third consecutive punt return for a touchdown in Kinnick Stadium against Michigan State: Charlie Jones (2020), Cooper DeJean (2023) and Kaden Wetjen (2025).

Trailing 17-10, Wetjen returned a punt 40 yards to the Michigan State 42-yard line with 2:37 remaining in the fourth quarter. Five plays later, quarterback Mark Gronowski completed a game-tying 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jacob Gill with 1:29 left in the contest.

Wetjen also had a punt return of 45 yards in the first quarter and an 18-yard kickoff return in the second quarter.

This is the third time this season, and fourth time in his career, Wetjen has been honored as Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week.

Iowa (7-4, 5-3) travels to Nebraska (7-4, 4-4) for its regular season finale on Friday. Kickoff is slated for 11:08 a.m. (CT) in Lincoln, Nebraska.