TicketsCINCINNATI – Former University of Cincinnati safety James Wiggins was selected by Arizona with pick 243 in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Wiggins was the third UC player selected following OL James Hudson (Cleveland, pick 110) and S Darrick Forrest (Washington, pick 163).
A three-time selection to Bruce Feldman's College Football Freak list, Wiggins played in 32 career games at UC, returning from a knee injury which sidelined him for the 2019 season. He was selected to multiple All-America teams in 2020 and was a two-time All-American Athletic Conference honoree.
Selected First-Team All-AAC in 2020, he was a key part of the AAC Championship squad and a defense which led the American and ranked in the NCAA Top-15 in rushing, pass efficiency, scoring and total defense. UC has forced a turnover in 20-straight games, the longest active streak in the NCAA FBS, and totaled AAC highs with 55 passes defended and 16 interceptions.
Wiggins had 32 tackles, seven passes defended, a sack, an interception and a forced fumble along with being tabbed as a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year Award. According to Sports Info Solutions, he gave up only 11 catches for 84 yards on 32 targets - an average of 2.63 yards per target which ranked second nationally during the regular season
He was selected for the Reese's Senior Bowl and NFL Combine.
Read his complete bio online.
DRAFT NOTABLES
• UC has had a player selected in each of the last six NFL Drafts.
• It's the first draft with multiple UC players selected since 2016 when Parker Ehinger and Chris Moore were both taken in the fourth round.
• It's UC's most draft selections since 2012 (4).
• Wiggins is the 115th UC player selected all time, the 36th since 2001 and the sixth taken by the Cardinals after Korey Cunningham (2018), Trevor Canfield (2009), Reggie Harrison (1974) *, Jack Lee (1960) * and Bill Shalosky (1953) **
• Former Bearcats OL Justin Murray played has played in 27 career games for Arizona, starting 19 over the last two seasons.
*-St. Louis Cardinals; **-Chicago Cardinals
ABOUT THE BEARCATS
Cincinnati finished 9-1 in 2020, winning the American Athletic Conference Championship and playing in its first New Year's Six Bowl game in over a decade.
The Bearcats return 16 starters from last season's squad, including AAC Offensive Player of the Year Desmond Ridder and seven-time All-America selection Ahmad Gardner along with All-AAC selections Darrian Beavers, Marcus Brown, Coby Bryant, Myjai Sanders, Tre Tucker, Josh Whyle and Michael Young Jr.
The 2021 roster projects to have nearly 40 local players who grew up and played high-school football in the tri-state area.
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati football, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow Cincinnati football (@GoBearcatsFB) and Coach Fickell (@CoachFick) on Twitter. You can also find the Bearcats on Instagram and Facebook.
Wiggins was the third UC player selected following OL James Hudson (Cleveland, pick 110) and S Darrick Forrest (Washington, pick 163).
A three-time selection to Bruce Feldman's College Football Freak list, Wiggins played in 32 career games at UC, returning from a knee injury which sidelined him for the 2019 season. He was selected to multiple All-America teams in 2020 and was a two-time All-American Athletic Conference honoree.
Selected First-Team All-AAC in 2020, he was a key part of the AAC Championship squad and a defense which led the American and ranked in the NCAA Top-15 in rushing, pass efficiency, scoring and total defense. UC has forced a turnover in 20-straight games, the longest active streak in the NCAA FBS, and totaled AAC highs with 55 passes defended and 16 interceptions.
Wiggins had 32 tackles, seven passes defended, a sack, an interception and a forced fumble along with being tabbed as a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year Award. According to Sports Info Solutions, he gave up only 11 catches for 84 yards on 32 targets - an average of 2.63 yards per target which ranked second nationally during the regular season
He was selected for the Reese's Senior Bowl and NFL Combine.
Read his complete bio online.
DRAFT NOTABLES
• UC has had a player selected in each of the last six NFL Drafts.
• It's the first draft with multiple UC players selected since 2016 when Parker Ehinger and Chris Moore were both taken in the fourth round.
• It's UC's most draft selections since 2012 (4).
• Wiggins is the 115th UC player selected all time, the 36th since 2001 and the sixth taken by the Cardinals after Korey Cunningham (2018), Trevor Canfield (2009), Reggie Harrison (1974) *, Jack Lee (1960) * and Bill Shalosky (1953) **
• Former Bearcats OL Justin Murray played has played in 27 career games for Arizona, starting 19 over the last two seasons.
*-St. Louis Cardinals; **-Chicago Cardinals
ABOUT THE BEARCATS
Cincinnati finished 9-1 in 2020, winning the American Athletic Conference Championship and playing in its first New Year's Six Bowl game in over a decade.
The Bearcats return 16 starters from last season's squad, including AAC Offensive Player of the Year Desmond Ridder and seven-time All-America selection Ahmad Gardner along with All-AAC selections Darrian Beavers, Marcus Brown, Coby Bryant, Myjai Sanders, Tre Tucker, Josh Whyle and Michael Young Jr.
The 2021 roster projects to have nearly 40 local players who grew up and played high-school football in the tri-state area.
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati football, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow Cincinnati football (@GoBearcatsFB) and Coach Fickell (@CoachFick) on Twitter. You can also find the Bearcats on Instagram and Facebook.