Demond Williams Jr. provides dazzling taste of UW Huskies’ future

SEATTLE – Since arriving on Montlake this past January in the wake of the UW Huskies’ mass exodus of NFL-bound draft picks and transfers, head coach Jedd Fisch has been open about his vision for rebuilding the program.

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A central part of that vision is true freshman quarterback of the future Demond Williams Jr.

And in Friday night’s chilly home finale at Husky Stadium, Williams’ electrifying playmaking left the purple-and-gold faithful buzzing with a taste of what that future could be.

After starting quarterback Will Rogers threw interceptions on back-to-back possessions to open the second half, Williams entered the game and provided a spark, leading back-to-back scoring drives that helped the Dawgs pull away and secure a bowl berth with a 31-19 win over UCLA.

The speedy 5-foot-11 Williams put his dual-threat skill set on full display, showcasing his blazing speed and shifty elusiveness with several dazzling runs. He completed 7 of 8 passes for 67 yards and a touchdown, while also scrambling for 31 yards on six carries.

“I know he’s going to be a guy,” Washington senior safety Kamren Fabiculanan said. “Going against him in practice … and just seeing him grow throughout his freshman career and shining when he gets in the game, it’s just been so awesome to see him work.”

Williams, a four-star recruit from Chandler, Ariz., initially signed with Fisch at Arizona before following him to Seattle this winter. Rogers, a senior transfer from Mississippi State, has started every game this season, but Fisch has consistently sprinkled in Williams as a change-of-pace weapon. Williams got his first extended action last week, when he played the entire second half of a blowout loss at Penn State.

But this was the first time Williams got the keys to the offense for an extended run in a tight game. And with Washington’s bowl hopes likely on the line, he rose to the occasion.

With the Huskies clinging to a one-point lead late in the third quarter, Williams came in and guided Washington on an 11-play, 57-yard field-goal drive. The highlight of that drive came on the very first snap, when Williams took a read-option keeper and juked a linebacker on his way to a 16-yard gain.

Then on the Huskies’ ensuing possession, Williams helped lead an eight-play, 74-yard touchdown march. Williams unleashed some Houdini-like magic on that drive, escaping potential sacks on back-to-back plays before bursting upfield for impressive gains of 12 and 6 yards. Williams capped the drive with a 1-yard play-action touchdown pass to freshman tight end Decker DeGraaf, giving the Huskies an 11-point cushion with less than six minutes to play.

Washington added another TD in the closing minutes, but that came on a short field and with running back Jonah Coleman gaining the brunt of the yardage.

“Really proud of Demond coming in and leading us to 17 points in the three drives that he had in the second half,” Fisch said. “I thought that we started the game well. I thought Will did a nice job there getting us to the 14 (points). And then things were just not going as well as I would have liked to and thought it was the right time to give Demond that opportunity.

“And proud of the whole team. Proud of Will, the way he handled it. Proud of Demond, the way he handled it. And really proud of everybody in that locker room.”

Wiliams Jr. connects to DeGraaf for a @UW_Football TD 🔥#B1GFootball on FOX 📺 pic.twitter.com/aomUktikQE

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 16, 2024

Rogers had an ultra-efficient start to the season, throwing 10 touchdown passes and no interceptions through the first five games. But since then, the former four-year Mississippi State starter has had a rocky stretch behind Washington’s shaky offensive line. After his two picks on Friday, Rogers has thrown just four touchdown passes and seven interceptions over the past six games.

On Rogers’ first interception, he tried to squeeze a third-down pass over the middle, but it was deflected by UCLA linebacker Kain Medrano and picked off by defensive back Devin Kirkwood. Rogers didn’t appear to see Medrano on his second interception, as he threw a pass over the middle that went directly to the UCLA linebacker.

Rogers also threw an ill-advised interception into the end zone in the first half, but it was wiped away by a roughing-the-passer penalty. He finished 13-of-21 passing for 115 yards, one TD and two picks.

Despite being benched after his second interception, Rogers was seen on the TV broadcast encouraging and hyping up his teammates on the sideline.

“He’s such a wonderful person and he’s such a great kid, and you could just feel it,” Fisch said. “You could feel it in his heart that he knew, when he came off the field probably, that we were going to go to Demond. And he was nothing but supportive. I just can’t say enough good things about Will Rogers the person.”

Given Rogers’ recent struggles and Williams’ scintillating second-half performance on Friday night, Washington’s quarterback situation surely will be a major topic of interest heading into the team’s Nov. 30 regular-season finale at No. 1 Oregon.

When asked postgame what his QB plans are for the upcoming rivalry trip to Eugene, Fisch declined to offer specifics.

“I’m going to use the bye week for that and certainly announce that at the right time – or not, and let them defend two quarterbacks for those 13 days,” Fisch said with a laugh.

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