Week 6 Big 12 Football Players of the Week Announced
With Week 6 of the college football season officially in the books, the Big 12 Conference announced four players that would be taking home the sixth iteration of the Big 12 Football Weekly Awards for the 2023 season.
Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel won the title of Offensive Player of the Week, while Oklahoma State freshman cornerback Cameron Epps took home Newcomer of the Week honors. Iowa State’s Beau Freyler claimed Defensive Player of the Week honors, and Kansas’ kick returner Trevor Wilson was selected as the Special Teams Player of the Week.
Gabriel took home the title of Offensive Player of the Week after leading the Sooners to a 34-30 win over Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns on Saturday after putting together one of the best game-winning drives in recent Big 12 history. Gabriel stepped up with his team trailing by three with 1:17 to go with zero timeouts remaining. He led the Sooners 75 yards down the field, capping the drive off with a three-yard touchdown pass to former Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, Nic Anderson to secure Oklahoma’s 34-30 win over No. 3 Texas on Saturday, according to the official release.
Iowa State’s junior safety Beau Freyler was all over the field on Saturday, leading his team in tackles and recording the first career multi-interception game of his career. The Colorado native recorded 11 tackles in Saturday’s 27-14 win as well as snagging two red zone interceptions. He recorded his fifth career game with double-digit tackles which earned him a spot as the only player in the Big 12 Conference to rank inside the Top 10 in both tackles and interceptions.
Oklahoma State defensive back Cameron Epps became the first FBS freshman with a pick-six against a Power Five team this season and became the first Oklahoma State freshman with two interceptions in a start since Shaun Lewis in November of 2010 against Oklahoma. Epps helped lead Mike Gundy’s squad to a 29-21 win over the defending Big 12 Champion Kansas State Wildcats recording the first two interceptions of his career, one being returned 35 yards for a score to earn Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors.
Kansas punt returner Trevor Wilson had an impressive day against the UCF Knights making some unique history for the Jayhawks in Saturday’s 51-22 win. Wilson got things started by returning a punt 82 yards for a score which became Wilson’s first special teams score of his career. Wilson became the first Jayhawk to find the end zone with a punt return since Nick Harwell’s 76-yard score against West Virginia in 2014. The hire of Sean Snyder seems to be working as Wilson’s return ranks fifth in Kansas history and is the longest punt return by a Big 12 player in a Conference game this season.
Last Week’s Winners:
Offense: Jonathon Brooks, UT, RB, So.
Defense: Caden Jenkins, BU, CB, Fr.
Newcomer: Adonai Mitchell, UT, WR, Jr.
Special Teams: Loic Fouonji, TTU, WR, Sr.
