WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Another week, another Big Ten Freshman of the Week accolade for Dillon Thieneman. The Purdue defensive back collected the weekly honor for the third time this season following his play at Nebraska.
It was another first for Thieneman, as no Purdue defender in program history has been a three-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week honoree. He became the first Boilermaker to earn the recognition at least three times since wide receiver David Bell was named B1G Freshman of the Week four times throughout the 2019 season. Bell went on to become the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
Closing out the month of October at Nebraska, Thieneman led Purdue in tackles for the fifth time in 2023. He recorded 12 tackles, his most in a Big Ten game, and cracked double digits for the third time this season. The Westfield, Indiana, native also forced a pair of fumbles to tie a school record for a single game. The strips were the first two forced fumbles of his career.
In his first season of college football, Thieneman leads the Boilermakers in tackles, averaging 9.2 per game for the most by any freshman in the country. He is also the nation's leading freshman in solo tackles (52) and interceptions (3), and his 6.5 solo tackles per game rank second in all of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
This week, Thieneman and the Boilermakers travel to No. 2 Michigan for a primetime battle. The rematch of the 2022 Big Ten Championship Game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
It was another first for Thieneman, as no Purdue defender in program history has been a three-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week honoree. He became the first Boilermaker to earn the recognition at least three times since wide receiver David Bell was named B1G Freshman of the Week four times throughout the 2019 season. Bell went on to become the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
Closing out the month of October at Nebraska, Thieneman led Purdue in tackles for the fifth time in 2023. He recorded 12 tackles, his most in a Big Ten game, and cracked double digits for the third time this season. The Westfield, Indiana, native also forced a pair of fumbles to tie a school record for a single game. The strips were the first two forced fumbles of his career.
In his first season of college football, Thieneman leads the Boilermakers in tackles, averaging 9.2 per game for the most by any freshman in the country. He is also the nation's leading freshman in solo tackles (52) and interceptions (3), and his 6.5 solo tackles per game rank second in all of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
This week, Thieneman and the Boilermakers travel to No. 2 Michigan for a primetime battle. The rematch of the 2022 Big Ten Championship Game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC.