UCF’s Josh Derry Tops Highest-Graded Returning Big 12 WR List
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Josh Derry has topped Pro Football Focus' list of the highest-graded returning Big 12 wide receivers, despite not playing a single down of Power Four football.
Derry received an 89.9 grade, edging out Texas Tech's Jalen Jones (89.6) and Oklahoma State's Wyatt Young (89). It's impressive for the Monmouth transfer coming up from the FCS.
He was one of the best offensive players in the FCS last season, earning FCS All-American honors. The former Hawk compiled 1,123 yards (14.78 yards per catch) and 13 touchdowns on 76 receptions en route to an All-CAA First Team honor.
Villanova's secondary couldn't contain him, as he caught eight balls for 177 yards and two touchdowns. He received CAA Offensive Player of the Week for his season-high performance.
As Derry spent the year torching defenses, he earned the nickname "Scary Derry." It's a fitting moniker given he is the focus of a defensive coordinator's game plan.
"It's a scary sight for a defense to see me, you know, running over past them on a deep route or catching the ball and going for 70 yards," Derry told reporters on April 18. "So just, you know, scaring scaring coaches and the defense."
Coach Scott Frost landed one of the best FCS players during January's transfer portal, immediately strengthening the UCF Knights' receiving core. Derry is spearheading the group with Duane Thomas Jr., Waden Charles and rising freshman Tyren Hornes.
The Monmouth transfer gives UCF its first proven 1,000-yard receiver since Javon Baker in 2023.
UCF's receiving unit was one of its weak points last season, as the offense couldn't string together long drives. Thomas Jr. led the core with 528 yards, eclipsing tight end Dylan Wade by five yards.
Derry's speed and explosiveness give the Knights a dynamic threat they didn't have last season. Paired with James Madison transfer quarterback Alonza Barnett III, they should be a formidable duo in the Big 12.
Wide receiver coach Sean Beckton Sr. played a significant role in recruiting the FCS' leading receiver to play in Orlando. He played the position 40 years ago for the Knights, and Derry said he valued having a coach who understands what he goes through daily.
It's a challenge jumping from the FCS to the FBS, but Derry hasn't just adjusted; he dominated during spring camp. Beckton complimented the senior's reliability on offense, consistency competing rather than only showing up on big plays.
Analysts predict Derry to have a breakout season in Frost's offensive scheme, and if his FCS production carries over, he'll provide the Knights with a vertical threat they lacked a season ago.
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