Josh Derry is arriving in the Big 12 with a reputation that already stretches beyond the FCS.
The Monmouth transfer, better known as “Scary Derry,” sits atop Pro Football Focus’ list of the highest-graded returning Big 12 wide receivers after earning an 89.9 grade. That number put him just ahead of Texas Tech’s Jalen Jones, who checked in at 89.6, and Oklahoma State’s Wyatt Young at 89.
For a player who hasn’t taken a snap of Power Four football, that’s a loud statement. Derry spent last season carving up FCS defenses and finished as one of the best offensive players in the subdivision. He was named an FCS All-American after piling up 1,123 yards, 13 touchdowns and 76 catches, averaging 14.78 yards per reception while earning All-CAA First Team honors.
His biggest outburst came against Villanova, when he hauled in eight passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns. That performance earned him CAA Offensive Player of the Week.
The production also gave him the nickname that has followed him into Orlando. “Scary Derry” fits the way he plays, and Derry made it clear why defenders would rather not see him streaking downfield.
"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."
UCF coach Scott Frost landed Derry in January’s transfer portal, and the move immediately changed the look of the Knights’ receiver room. Derry now leads a group that includes Duane Thomas Jr., Waden Charles and freshman Tyren Hornes.
That matters because UCF needed help there. The Knights’ receiving unit was one of their weaker spots last season, when the offense struggled to put together long drives. Thomas Jr. led the group with 528 yards, finishing just five yards ahead of tight end Dylan Wade.
Derry gives UCF something it didn’t have last season: a proven vertical weapon with real production behind the hype. He also gives the Knights their first 1,000-yard receiver since Javon Baker in 2023.
Paired with James Madison transfer quarterback Alonza Barnett III, Derry could help give UCF a much more dangerous passing game in the Big 12.
Wide receivers coach Sean Beckton Sr. was a key part of bringing him to Orlando. Beckton played the position for the Knights 40 years ago, and Derry said he appreciated having a coach who knows what the day-to-day grind looks like from the inside.
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