UCF Adds All-Americans From Transfer Portal
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The highest-rated recruit of UCF's class of 2026 may be a wide receiver, but that has not stopped the Knights from adding more wideouts in the transfer portal.
On Wednesday night, UCF announced the signing of FCS First-Team All-American Josh Derry. The former Monmouth wideout caught 76 passes for 1,123 yards and 13 touchdowns last season on his way to getting All-CAA First Team and FCS All-American First Team nods from the Associated Press and Phil Steele.
Derry's addition adds another senior leader to the wide receiver room, joining Duane Thomas Jr. Both players are coming off seasons that saw them average double-digit yards per catch. They are both set to lead what looks like a receiver room predominantly made up of underclassmen, such as rising sophomore Waden Charles, incoming freshman Tyren Hornes and redshirt sophomore DayDay Farmer.
Welcome to UCF, @JoshDerry4 ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/XjQniBRYpM
— UCF Football (@UCF_Football) January 8, 2026
Derry is not the only wide receiver the Knights are bringing in from the transfer portal, however. Not even 24 hours after the Monmouth receiver's signing, UCF announced the signing of former ULM receiver Jonathan Bibbs. A rising sophomore, Bibbs caught 26 passes for 383 yards and three touchdowns this past season for the Warhawks. The move adds another young receiver that wide receivers coach Sean Beckton can develop alongside Charles, Hornes and several more underclassman wideouts.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the ball, Derry was also not the only All-American honoree to sign with the Knights from the transfer portal.
Former Harvard defensive back Ty Bartrum was reported to be transferring to UCF on Thursday, according to a report from 247Sports' Andrew Cherico that Bartrum himself reposted on X. Bartrum earned FCS Honorable Mention All-American honors after recording 83 tackles (27 solo), defending four passes, forcing two fumbles and getting one interception for the Crimson this past season.
Bartrum is the fourth defensive back the Knights have picked up this transfer portal cycle, joining Jailen Duffie from North Dakota State, Kahmel Johnson from Division II's Wayne State College and Caleb Flagg from Missouri. Despite losing seven defensive backs to the portal, UCF defensive coordinator Alex Grinch and new defensive backs coach Will Johnson have still retained starters like Antione Jackson, Braeden Marshall, Demari Henderson and Jayden Bellamy.
UCF has not officially announced Bartrum's signing as of Thursday night.
The transfer portal closes on Jan. 16.
Catch up on more UCF news below:
The 2026 UCF Knights Transfer Portal Tracker
Bryson Turner is a sports journalist who covers UCF Athletics. Turner has contributed to the Black and Gold Banneret, the home for UCF Athletics on SB Nation. He has called the Orlando area home since the age of 8 and received his bachelor's and master's degrees from UCF.
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