LEXINGTON, Ky. — With C.J. Conrad limited this spring while rehabbing from offseason surgery, an opportunity for tight ends Greg Hart and Justin Rigg have emerged.
Hart, a senior who transferred to Kentucky from Nebraska in 2015, caught six passes for 32 yards as the backup to Conrad last season. Rigg played in the Wildcats’ season opener against Southern Mississippi but was injured in the next game against Florida and missed the rest of the season.
But both are back this spring and recognize the opportunity they have to enter the mix at tight end.
“I think there’s a huge opportunity,” Hart said. “I just think it’s showing the coaches and everything that Justin can play. It’s showing that I can do a lot of things. It’s going make us better during the season, be able to use us a lot more. It’s going to help our offense.”
Experienced tight ends will only add to an offense full of established players. Offensive coordinator Eddie Gran said Rigg is an athletic player who can run the field vertically and is improving as a blocker. His main focus for Rigg is “straining,” which is another way to say the sophomore tight end needs to finish his blocks.
“He’s really trying,” Gran said. “He's gotta learn that this is big time football, and it's tough, hard and he's got to learn how to do that. He's getting there. He really is. I'm excited about him.”
Tight ends coach Vince Marrow said Rigg’s strength allows him to fire off the ball and knock the defenders back, but Marrow suggested Rigg might not understand just how strong he is.
“He blocks a guy and knocks him off the ball, and in high school he could probably get away with it because he’s so big,” Marrow said. “He’s still so big here but guys fall off blocks. So he’s knocking the guy off, he just needs to finish. He’s working more on it.”
Marrow said he needs to have Rigg play at SEC speed.
“He’s an all around tight end,” Marrow said. “His potential is through the roof. I just need him to play at SEC speed all the time. That’s not a knock against him because he’s doing some good things out there. But once he plays at SEC speed, he’s going to really be a good one.”
If Rigg is a good one, that would give the Wildcats three quality tight ends once Conrad returns at full strength. Marrow said Conrad was doing individual work last week and this week, but his main goal is to have great depth at the position in case someone is injured once the season begins.
"It’s like this; if C.J. was to go down the first game, we can’t miss a beat," Marros said. "I’m coaching those guys just as hard as if they’re going to be the starters. Greg has a lot of film time and a lot of game time. I’m very confident with what Greg can do now. But Rigg, the way he’s coming, I think he’s going to be special.”
