Wisconsin's Trech Kekahuna named Big Ten Freshman of the Week

Kekahuna burst onto the scene with an electrifying performance against Purdue.

Wisconsin wide receiver Trech Kekahuna (2) scores a touchdown on a 69-yard reception during the third quarter of their game Saturday, October 5, 2024 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. / Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Two touchdown catches for the suddenly-explosive Wisconsin Badgers has led to wide receiver Trech Kekahuna being named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week.

Kekahuna, a high school track champion growing up in Honolulu, Hawaii, exploded onto the scene for the Wisconsin with six catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns, including a 64-yard burst to help the Badgers blast Purdue 52-6 on Saturday.

Kekahuna won the award over Minnesota safety Koi Perich, who forced a fumble and had the game-sealing interception in the end zone to help the Gophers knock off No. 11 USC on Saturday night.

Kekahuna is a redshirt freshman after playing in the final five games of the 2023 season, when he had four catches — all of them in the bowl game against No. 13 LSU. He had just four catches for 32 yards before erupting Saturday against the Boilermakers.

In the previous two weeks, Kekahuna went without a catch despite being targeted once against Alabama and five times against USC. Against Purdue, quarterback Braedyn Locke targeted him a combined nine times.

If Kekahuna's performance was more than a flash in the pan, the Badgers all of a sudden have a very formidable trio of receivers to go with Will Pauling and Vinny Anthony Jr. And if the explosiveness shown by Wisconsin wasn't just a fluke against a bad Purdue team, then there's a chance the 2024 Badgers can exceed expectations after the back-to-back losses to 'Bama and USC.

The next test is Saturday at Rutgers, whom the Badgers are road underdogs against.