CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — After a last-minute 27-26 win at Minnesota, Illinois wide receiver Isaiah Williams and running back Kaden Feagin were named Big Ten awards winners on Monday. Williams is the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week and Feagin is the Big Ten Freshman of the Week.
Williams was also named the East-West Shrine Bowl's Breakout Offensive Player of the Week and Feagin was named the 247Sports National True Freshman of the Week.
Isaiah Williams - Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week, East-West Shrine Bowl's Breakout Offensive Player of the Week
Williams had career highs in receptions (13), receiving yards (131), and touchdown receptions (2, tied) in the victory at Minnesota. He came up huge in the clutch with the game-winning 46-yard touchdown catch with 50 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and Illinois trailing by five points, after also keeping the Illini alive earlier in the drive with a 22-yard reception on 4th-and-11 from the Minnesota 15-yard line with 1:25 remaining.
Williams' 13 receptions are the most by a Big Ten player in a single game this season and tied for the fifth-most by any FBS player in 2023. The 13 receptions are tied for the second-most in Illinois history and the most by an Illini in 35 years.
Williams now leads the Big Ten in receptions with 59, seven ahead of Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr., who ranks second with 52. Harrison Jr. is the only Big Ten player with more receiving yards than Williams, who has 693 receiving yards on the year. Williams also leads the Big Ten in yards after catch with 371 and ranks second in first-down receptions with 33, once again only trailing Harrison Jr.
Kaden Feagin - Big Ten Freshman of the Week, 247Sports National True Freshman of the Week
Feagin had a career-high 148 yards of offense in Illinois' win at Minnesota. He carried the ball 22 carries for 89 yards and had a 54-yard touchdown reception for the first receiving score of his career. The touchdown reception gave Illinois a 21-20 lead in the third quarter and was the longest reception by an Illini this season. Feagin's 148 total yards led all players in the game.
After starting the last three games, Feagin is adding his name to the Freshman All-American conversation. His 418 rushing yards are third in the nation among true freshman, behind only Minnesota's Darius Taylor (591) and BYU's LJ Martin (438). Feagin is sixth in the nation in rushing yards among all freshmen (including redshirt) and he ranks in the top ten in the Big Ten in yards/carry (7th, 4.7) and yards/game (10th, 52.2).
Williams was also named the East-West Shrine Bowl's Breakout Offensive Player of the Week and Feagin was named the 247Sports National True Freshman of the Week.
Isaiah Williams - Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week, East-West Shrine Bowl's Breakout Offensive Player of the Week
Williams had career highs in receptions (13), receiving yards (131), and touchdown receptions (2, tied) in the victory at Minnesota. He came up huge in the clutch with the game-winning 46-yard touchdown catch with 50 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and Illinois trailing by five points, after also keeping the Illini alive earlier in the drive with a 22-yard reception on 4th-and-11 from the Minnesota 15-yard line with 1:25 remaining.
Williams' 13 receptions are the most by a Big Ten player in a single game this season and tied for the fifth-most by any FBS player in 2023. The 13 receptions are tied for the second-most in Illinois history and the most by an Illini in 35 years.
Williams now leads the Big Ten in receptions with 59, seven ahead of Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr., who ranks second with 52. Harrison Jr. is the only Big Ten player with more receiving yards than Williams, who has 693 receiving yards on the year. Williams also leads the Big Ten in yards after catch with 371 and ranks second in first-down receptions with 33, once again only trailing Harrison Jr.
Kaden Feagin - Big Ten Freshman of the Week, 247Sports National True Freshman of the Week
Feagin had a career-high 148 yards of offense in Illinois' win at Minnesota. He carried the ball 22 carries for 89 yards and had a 54-yard touchdown reception for the first receiving score of his career. The touchdown reception gave Illinois a 21-20 lead in the third quarter and was the longest reception by an Illini this season. Feagin's 148 total yards led all players in the game.
After starting the last three games, Feagin is adding his name to the Freshman All-American conversation. His 418 rushing yards are third in the nation among true freshman, behind only Minnesota's Darius Taylor (591) and BYU's LJ Martin (438). Feagin is sixth in the nation in rushing yards among all freshmen (including redshirt) and he ranks in the top ten in the Big Ten in yards/carry (7th, 4.7) and yards/game (10th, 52.2).
