![Justin Rigg - Football - University of Kentucky Athletics Justin Rigg - Football - University of Kentucky Athletics](https://ukathletics.com/imgproxy/Y236quzTJExIqfbtAcTO4xJOOoEBjHqeO-Yz7i4kSeM/fit/600/800/ce/0/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdG9yYWdlLmdvb2dsZWFwaXMuY29tL3VrYXRobGV0aWNzLWNvbS8yMDIwLzA4Lzk1ODJmODNkLXJpZ2dfanVzdGluXzIwMTlfZml4ZWQuanBn.png)
JustinRigg
- position Tight End
- height 6-6
- Weight 263
- class Senior
- Hometown Springboro, Ohio
- High school Springboro
Career
- Four-year letter winner
- Played in a a school-record 63 career games with 35 starts, including 16 in a row
- Career totals included 50 catches for 547 yards and five scores, averaging 10.9 yards per catch
- Graduated in December of 2020 with a degree in agricultural economics
- Graduated with a second degree in communication on December 17, 2021
- SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll (2016-17)
2021 – Senior *
- In 13 starts, had 20 receptions (third on the team) for 189 yards (9.5) and four scores
- Celebrated Senior Day with two catches for 34 yards and a career-high two TDs in the win over New Mexico State … First time a UK tight end had multiple TDs in a game since C.J. Conrad caught three touchdowns vs. New Mexico State in 2016
- Caught a season-high four passes for 24 yards, including a one-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter at No. 1 Georgia
2020 – Senior
- Played in nine games with eight starts
- Fifth on the team in receptions with 12 for 145 yards and a score … Averaged 12.1 yards per catch
- Caught three passes for a career-high 79 yards in the win over South Carolina on Senior Day
- Caught a 15-yard TD pass on UK’s first offensive possession vs. Vanderbilt, his first career TD reception … It was his second career TD after a fumble recovery for a score in 2019
2019 – Junior
- Started in 12 of 13 games played
- Had at least one catch in six games, totaling 11 catches for 128 yards
- Integral blocker for UK’s explosive running game which led the SEC and ranked fourth nationally with 278.8 rushing yards per game
- Had five receptions for 50 yards, both career highs, vs. Florida
- Scored his first collegiate touchdown on a fumble recovery in the end zone on the first play of the second quarter vs. Toledo
2018 – Sophomore
- Played in all 13 games with two starts vs. MTSU and Louisville
- Had four catches for 45 yards
- Earned his first career start vs. MTSU and had a 29-yard catch, the longest of his career
2017 – r-Freshman
- Played in all 13 games
- Caught three passes for 40 yards, including a career-high two catches for 34 yards vs. Northwestern in the Music City Bowl
2016 – Freshman
- Redshirt season
- Played in two games before suffering a rib injury during the third week of the season
- Returned to practice for the bowl game but did not see action
- SEC First-year Academic Honor Roll (2016-17)
High School
- A 3-star tight end rated the No. 47 tight end and No. 43 player in Ohio by 247sports
- Voted team captain as a senior and hauled in 35 catches for 394 yards and a touchdown
- Helped Springboro finish 11-3 and advance to the second round of the Division I, Region 2 playoffs
- Named Greater Western Ohio All-Conference
- Earned an invitation to the 2016 Ohio High Football Coaches Assoc. North-South All-Star Classic
- Coached by Ryan Wilhite
- Also a letter winner and team captain on the basketball team, averaging 9.4 points and 8.0 rebounds per game as a senior
- Excelled in the classroom as he was a three-time Basketball Scholar Athlete and earned the United States Marine Corps’ Distinguished Athlete Award
- Picked UK over Bowling Green, Cincinnati, West Virginia, Eastern Michigan, Miami (Ohio), Ohio, Pittsburgh, Toledo and Wake Forest
Personal
- Born in Dayton, Ohio
- Son of Jay and Robin Rigg
- Has two brothers, Jake and Jordan
- Grandfather, Joe Miko, played football at Ohio, while brother, Jordan, played at Miami (Ohio) and brother, Jake, played at Walsh University
Justin Says
- His nickname is “Rigg”
- He chose Kentucky because it felt like family
- When he played football as a kid he pretended to be Shaun Alexander
- One word to describe him on the field is “focused”
- His hidden talent is card tricks