UCLA’s Nico Iamaleava and Notre Dame’s Leonard Moore Named Walter Camp National FBS Players of the Week – Week 6 (Oct. 7)
The Walter Camp Football Foundation has announced the Football Bowl Subdivision National Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week for games ending October 4.
About the Award: This is the 22nd year that the Walter Camp Football Foundation will honor one offensive and one defensive player as its national Football Bowl Subdivision player of the week during the regular season. It is the nation’s longest running Player of Week award.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
RS Sophomore, Quarterback, Long Beach, CA
Nico Iamaleava accounted for all five of UCLA’s touchdowns (2 passing, 3 rushing) and 294 yards of total offense (166 passing, 128 rushing) to lead the Bruins to a 42-37 upset over No. 7 Penn State. It marked UCLA’s first home win over a Top-10 team since 2007. In the victory, Iamaleava set single-game career highs in rushing (128 yards) and rushing touchdowns (three).
Notes: It is the ninth time since 2004 that a UCLA player has earned Walter Camp National FBS Player of Week honors. Iamaleava is the first UCLA honoree since former quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (Sept. 22, 2019).
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sophomore, Corner Back, Round Rock, TX
Leonard Moore had two interceptions, forced one fumble and totaled six tackles in Notre Dame’s 28-7 win over Boise State. The sophomore was also responsible for two third-down stops on the day. His second interception sealed the game for the Irish, allowing the offense to kneel out the clock to secure the 28-7 win. Moore and the Irish (3-2) defense stymied a Boise State offense, holding it to 200 yards less than its season average.
Notes: It is the 16th time a Notre Dame player has earned Walter Camp National Player of Week honors since 2004. It is the fourth straight season a ND defensive back has earned Defensive Player of Week honors. Moore joins former teammates Benjamin Morrison (Nov. 6, 2022) and Xavier Watts (Oct. 17, 2023 and Dec. 3, 2024).
Considered the “Father of American Football,” Walter Camp introduced the play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side in 1880. Nine years later, Mr. Camp, then the Yale University head coach, selected the first-ever college football All-America team. The Walter Camp Football Foundation – a New Haven-based all-volunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All-America team. Visit www.waltercamp.org for more information. The Foundation is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football’s most prestigious awards and its 25 awards have honored more than 950 recipients dating back to 1935. This season, 13 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday. For more information about the NCFAA and its award programs, visit NCFAA.org or follow on X at @NCFAA.
