James Wiggins Season 2016

CAREER HONORS
• Invited to 2021 NFL Combine
• Selected for 2021 Reese’s Senior Bowl
• No. 149 on The Athletic’s 2021 Top-300 NFL Draft Big Board
• First-Team All-American - The Athletic / Second-Team All-American - Associated Press
• 2020 First-Team All-American Athletic Conference
• 2020 Jim Thorpe Award - Semifinalist
• Named to Bruce Feldman’s College Football Freaks List for three-straight years.
• 2018 Second-Team All-AAC
 
CAREER
Returned from a 2019 knee injury to lead a standout defense in 2020 ... played in 32 career games, making 87 tackles with five interceptions, one for a TD ... also had 18 passes defended and two forced fumbles ... earned multiple All-America nods in 2020 and was a two-time All-AAC honoree.
 
SINGLE-GAME BESTS
Points scored: 6, at SMU, 10/27/18
Touchdowns: 1, at SMU, 10/27/18
All-purpose yards: 111, at SMU, 10/27/18
Kick returns: 3, Ohio, 09/22/18 ; USF, 11/10/18
Kick return yards: 61, Ohio, 09/22/18 (3 returns)
Long kick return: 35, at UCLA, 09/01/18
Interceptions: 1, 5 times
Long interception return: 86, at SMU, 10/27/18
Tackles: 10, at Temple, 10/20/18 (8-2)
Sacks: 1.0, Memphis, 10/31/20 (1-0)
TFLs: 1.0, three times
Fumbles forced: 1, ECU, 11/23/18; Memphis, 10/31/20
Pass breakups: 2, Alabama A&M, 09/15/18
 
2020: Earned First-Team All-America (The Athletic), Second-Team All-America (AP) and Firs-Team All-AAC honors ... started nine games for a UC 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 ... had 32 tackles, seven passes defended, a sack, an interception and a forced fumble ... semifinalist for the 2020 Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year Award ... according to Sports Info Solutions, Wiggins, has given up only 11 catches for 84 yards on 32 - an average of 2.63 yards per target which ranks second nationally ... named to Bruce Feldman’s College Football Freaks List for the third-straight year.

2019: Suffered a torn ACL in practice two days before the season opener against UCLA ... missed the entire season ... was tabbed for Bruce Feldman's College Football Freakiest Athlete's list for the second-straight season.

2018: A Second-Team All-AAC honoree in 2018 after tallying 54 tackles and four interceptions while showing a big-play flair in the secondary. He started his season by earning a spot on Bruce Feldman's annual list of the freakiest athletes in college football and showed it on the field with four game-changing interceptions. His first career interception was in the second quarter of the opener at UCLA, which led to a Warren TD, giving UC a lead it would not relinquish. Interception No. 2 came in the waning minutes against Ohio when he jumped a route on the goal line to end the Bobcats scoring threat and seal the win for UC. Wiggins' third interception came in overtime at SMU, an 86-yard interception return for a TD which gave UC its first extra-period win since 2008. The 86-yard run back was the fourth longest in school history and longest since current UC CB coach Mike Mickens had a 79-yard INT return for a TD against USF in 2007. His final interception of the year came late in the fourth quarter of the Military Bowl when he tracked down and hauled in a Hokies pass to seal UC's first bowl win since 2012. 

2017: Played in 10 games for UC on special teams and as a reserve safety, recording a tackle in the season finale against UConn.

2016: Redshirted

PRIOR TO UC: Rated a three-star prospect by Scout, 247Sports and ESPN ... Ranked the No. 13 cornerback in Florida by Scout, as well as No. 107 nationally ... Slotted as the 114th-best prospect in Florida by 247Sports ... Ranked 141st in Florida by ESPN and No. 56 nationally at cornerback with an overall grade of 75 ... Recorded 190 tackles during prep career ... Competed for coach Nathaniel Hudson at South Dade High School ... Chose UC over Miami (Fla.), Louisville, Illinois, Purdue, Temple, USF and UCF.