NAPERVILLE, Ill. - Augustana College’s Ben Ludlum, Wheaton College’s Zeke Harris and Illinois Wesleyan University’s Matt Worthington claimed College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin Football Student-Athlete of the Week honors, announced Monday.
Ludlum accounted for 223 all-purpose yards and five touchdowns in Augustana’s win over Millikin University. Harris led the Wheaton defense with 18 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and a late interception that set up the game-winning field goal in a 13-10 win over No. 1 North Central College. Worthington averaged 66.5 yards on two punts for Illinois Wesleyan, recording the two longest punts in the CCIW this season at 67 and 66 yards.
Conference play continues this weekend with Wheaton leading the 2026 CCIW title race as the lone undefeated team. Fans are able to catch CCIW football action live and free on the CCIW Network throughout the 2026 season.
Offensive
Ben Ludlum, Augustana (Running Back, Senior, Algonquin, IL) - Second Weekly Award
Ludlum powered the Augustana offense in its shootout win over Millikin University, recording 223 all-purpose yards and five total touchdowns. He rushed for 209 yards and four touchdowns on 34 carries, averaging 6.1 yards per attempt with a long run of 27 yards. Ludlum also contributed through the air by hauling in a 13-yard touchdown reception to account for his fifth score of the game.
Defensive
Zeke Harris, Wheaton (Linebacker, Junior, Clermont, GA) - Second Weekly Award
Harris led the Wheaton defense in its 13-10 win over No. 1 North Central College, recording a game-high 18 tackles, the most by a Wheaton player since 2014. The junior added 6.5 tackles for loss for 28 yards, including 1.5 sacks. Harris also came up with the game’s decisive turnover, intercepting a pass at the North Central 40-yard line with 1:05 remaining. The takeaway set up Caleb Ryan’s game-winning field goal with five seconds left in the contest.
Special Teams
Matt Worthington, Illinois Wesleyan (Punter, Junior, Lake Zurich, IL)
Worthington made the most of his two punts in Illinois Wesleyan’s 44-7 win, recording punts of 67 and 66 yards for an average of 66.5 yards per attempt. The junior’s two punts rank as the longest and second-longest in the CCIW this season. He leads the conference with a 44.9-yard punting average, which ranks fourth nationally, and seven punts of 50 or more yards, while ranking second in the CCIW with seven punts downed inside the 20-yard line.
Previous Football Student-Athletes of the Week
Week 1
Offensive: Jimmy Makuh, Augustana
Defensive: Phillip Carlton Jr., North Central
Special Teams: Sean Ryniec, North Central
Week 2
Offensive: Dermot Smyth, Illinois Wesleyan
Defensive: Joey DeMaio, Illinois Wesleyan
Special Teams: Seth Kortenhoeven, Wheaton
Week 3
Offensive: Mark Forcucci, Wheaton
Defensive: Lucas Lappin, Illinois Wesleyan
Special Teams: Tyreke Fortney, Augustana
Week 4
Offensive: Ben Ludlum, Augustana
Defensive: August Johansen, Carroll
Special Teams: Seth Kortenhoeven, Wheaton
Week 5
Offensive: Will Nazha, Illinois Wesleyan
Defensive: Zeke Harris, Wheaton
Special Teams: Lach Sullivan, Illinois Wesleyan
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The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) was founded in 1946 and currently services nine member institutions including Augustana College (Rock Island, Ill.), Carroll University (Waukesha, Wis.), Carthage College (Kenosha, Wis.), Elmhurst University (Elmhurst, Ill.), Illinois Wesleyan University (Bloomington, Ill.), Millikin University (Decatur, Ill.), North Central College (Naperville, Ill.), North Park University (Chicago, Ill.) and Wheaton College (Wheaton, Ill.).