UCF welcomes ‘Scary Derry' as new receiver Josh Derry impresses Knights

It's not unusual to find new UCF wide receiver Josh Derry roaming the halls of the football offices at the Wayne Densch Sports Complex bright and early.

Derry often finds himself in the film room, reviewing highlights from the Knights' recent spring practice sessions. He's typically joined by fellow receivers Waden Charles and Duane Thomas Jr., who share his commitment.

It's a work ethic that's quickly becoming the norm for the budding group.

"We come in and watch film at six in the morning. We're watching film early and staying late. He carries himself as a pro," Charles said of Derry.

For Derry, the early morning routine is nothing new, but rather what is required to be successful on the gridiron.

"We talk about being a pro and having those habits," Derry said of the discussions with his teammates. "Sometimes you don't want to do them, wake up early in the morning and watch a film, but that will get you better in the long run, to be able to see where you messed up, where you can get better on the day - every day."

The 5-foot-9, 182-pound Derry, who earned the nickname “Scary Derry” during his time at Monmouth, is already turning heads with the Knights for his dynamic play-making abilities. He's projected to fill the wideout positions opposite Charles and alongside slot receiver Thomas.

UCF has a long history of developing wide receivers, including Brandon Marshall, Mike Walker, Rannell Hall, Breshad Perriman, Tre'Quan Smith, Gabe Davis and Javon Baker. Many of those were under the watchful eye of long-time coach Sean Beckton Sr.

But Beckton sees something different in the senior from Baltimore.

"He has IT. He's very coachable. He understands every single play and how he needs to work to get open. Those are the things we try to train these guys on, but he had that ability to understand," Beckton explains.

“I just love coming here with my guys and just getting better. I think that’s really the main goal,” Derry said.

Derry signed with UCF in the offseason after spending three seasons at Monmouth, a Football Championship Subdivision school located in New Jersey. He earned All-American status while appearing in 30 games for the Hawks, finishing with 2,076 receiving yards on 139 catches and 19 touchdowns.

In his senior season, Derry led the Coastal Athletic Association with 13 receiving touchdowns and was second in the league in receiving yards (1,122) and third in catches (75).

While he spent the past three seasons in the FCS, Derry expects the transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision and a Power Four conference to be a smooth one.

“Football is the same, whatever level you play," he said. "I just want to play the game that I’ve been playing since I was a kid and just take advantage of each day and have fun with it.”

Derry was also impressed with UCF and with his role on the team.

"I wanted to be somewhere where I could be able to play my game, be comfortable and have a chance to make it to the next level," he explained. "It's a fast offense, a really explosive offense that fits my game a lot. We're going to be very explosive."

And the nickname?

"It came from my freshman year (at Monmouth) when one of my teammates gave it to me after I made a play," Derry said. "It originates from ‘Scary Terry’ McLaurin (a Washington Commanders receiver), and it didn't stick at first, but my teammates picked up on it and it just stuck."

Matt Murschel can be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com

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This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 3:17 PM.