Penn State football defensive end Caleb Bacon was named a Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week, the conference announced Monday afternoon.

B1G Co-Defensive Player of the Week @CalebBacon12 pic.twitter.com/XqaGBTDLd1

— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) September 7, 2026

Bacon’s first official game lined up at defensive end turned heads. He ended his day against Marshall with six total tackles, three tackles-for-loss, and one sack. He consistently put pressure on the Thundering Herd from around the edge, through the middle, and simply was Penn State’s difference-maker on the defensive side of the ball in Week 1.

“Just seeing how he approaches practice every day, the way he improves every day, and just delivers details, it wasn’t surprising to see how he played today,” Rojas said postgame.

Bacon was obviously pleased with the day he had in his Penn State debut, but he’s only focused on the team’s results week in and week out.

“You can’t let your highs get too high; you can’t let your lows get too low,” he said postgame. “Not even thinking about the stat sheet at the end of the day. The only thing that matters to me is the win.”

Bacon was named a Co-Defensive Player of the Week alongside UCLA defensive back Ta’Shawn James, who tallied two interceptions for the Bruins against Cal.

The last Penn State player to be named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week was Dani Dennis-Sutton after his two-sack performance against Michigan State in 2025.