AP PHOTO - Iowa wide receiver Kaden Wetjen (21) returns a punt during the first half of a college football game against Massachusetts on Saturday in Iowa City.

IOWA CITY — University of Iowa senior return specialist Kaden Wetjen has been named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week following his performance in the Hawkeyes’ 47-7 win over UMass. The announcement was made Monday by the Big Ten Conference.

Wetjen (5-foot-9, 196 pounds) finished with a career-high 216 return yards (182 punt and 34 kickoff) and a career-high 236 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns against the Minutemen. The 182 punt return yards are the fourth-most in a single game in Big Ten history, trailing Maryland’s William Likely (233 in 2015), Iowa’s Nile Kinnick (201 in 1939) and Iowa’s Kevonte Martin-Manley (184 in 2013).

Wetjen made history returning a punt 95 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter in the 40-point victory. The return tied a Big Ten and Iowa record and was the longest punt return in Kinnick Stadium history. It was his second career punt return for a touchdown and his third career return touchdown (two punt, one kickoff). Wetjen is now tied for second in school history with two punt return touchdowns. Wetjen and Tim Dwight are the only players in school history with multiple 80+ yard punt return touchdowns (Dwight 3, Wetjen 2).

Wetjen also had a 20-yard touchdown run on a reverse in the first quarter for his first career rushing touchdown. The Williamsburg, Iowa, native is believed to be the first player in Iowa history to have a rushing, receiving, punt return and kickoff return score in his career.

Wetjen is the first Hawkeye to earn a Big Ten weekly accolade this season. Wetjen has earned Big Ten Special Teams weekly honors twice in his career (Sept. 15, 2024).