Tyren Hornes is making a name for himself fast at UCF, and the freshman receiver now has the numbers to back it up.
PFF College put Hornes ninth among freshman wideouts in the FBS with a 74.1 grade, according to a post on X. That places him just ahead of Southern California’s Kayden Dixon Wyatt, who is one point lower, and just behind San José State’s Carson Clark, who sits 0.3 points above him.
Hornes’ rise has been fueled by the kind of moments that get noticed in a hurry. He put together a career-best outing in UCF’s historic upset over then-No. 2 BYU, finishing with 137 yards on six catches while repeatedly moving the chains and keeping drives alive.
One of the biggest plays came when coach Scott Frost and offensive coordinator Steve Cooper dialed up a designed wide receiver screen on third-and-18 in the third quarter. Hornes took the pass, slipped through several tackles and raced 56 yards down the sideline to push UCF back into scoring position.
He also delivered when the game got even bigger. After quarterback Keyone Jenkins ran in a 1-yard touchdown to give UCF a 24-21 lead in the fourth quarter, BYU answered to tie it. Then in double overtime, after Jenkins threw his third touchdown, Hornes dove into the end zone for the two-point conversion that sealed the upset.
That wasn’t an isolated flash, either. Hornes had only three receptions in three games early on, but his role grew once conference play started.
His climb showed up against then-No. 20 Houston, where he caught four passes for 34 yards and hauled in an 18-yard grab before halftime to help move up the depth chart.
The freshman’s emergence matters for what comes next in UCF’s receiver room. Josh Derry and Duane Thomas Jr. are seniors and are likely to move on after the season, which opens the door for Hornes and Waden Charles to become the next leaders. Charles has already carved out a bigger role of his own, putting up 217 yards and two touchdowns on 18 catches.
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Arizona State Has A Real Reason To Watch The Big 12 Now
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For Arizona State, and for anyone tracking how the Big 12 is positioning itself, Yormarks departure date now adds another layer of uncertainty. He is set to leave on Jan. 31, 2027, and his next move has not been announced, leaving the conference to eventually navigate a transition after a tenure that also included the league handling messy off-field issues such as the Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby situation and its federal lawsuit fallout. [Read more 🡒]