UW Huskies star QB Demond Williams to enter transfer portal

UW Huskies star sophomore quarterback Demond Williams Jr. announced on social media Tuesday evening that he’s entering the NCAA’s transfer portal, despite reportedly signing a contract just four days earlier to return to Montlake for the 2026 season.

“I have to do what is best for me and my future,” Williams posted in his announcement.

On Tuesday evening, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that UW is “prepared to pursue all legal avenues to enforce Demond Williams’ signed contract” and that the situation has drawn the Big Ten’s attention.

The Athletic also reported that UW “has no intention” of releasing Williams from his contract and that “the dispute could lead to a messy debate over the circumstances surrounding Williams’ status.”

According to a report from Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger, UW officials suspect that another school contacted Williams after he signed a “legally binding revenue-share contract” with UW. That contract, per Thamel, was “near the top of the market.” UW plans to submit evidence of tampering, Dellenger reported.

According to Thamel, Williams will have a do-not-contact tag on his transfer portal entry, which means schools can only reach out to Williams if he initiates contact first. The NCAA’s transfer portal window runs from Jan. 2-16.

On3’s Pete Nakos reported that LSU is an early school to watch in Williams’ recruitment, but that other schools are expected to be involved.

LSU’s new head coach is Lane Kiffin, whose messy departure from Ole Miss last month dominated college football headlines.

Williams, an electrifying dual-threat talent out of Chandler, Ariz., initially committed to Kiffin and Ole Miss as a high school junior in December 2022.

In July 2023, Williams decommitted from Ole Miss and committed to Arizona, where Jedd Fisch was the head coach at the time. Williams then followed Fisch to UW after he took over as the Huskies’ head coach in January 2024.

Williams spent most of his 2024 true freshman season as a change-of-pace backup behind then-senior Will Rogers. Williams then took over the starting job late in the year and delivered a breakout performance in the Sun Bowl.

As a first-year starter for UW this past fall, the 5-foot-11, 190-pound Williams put his dual-threat skill set on display while leading the Huskies to a 9-4 record and delivering a slew of highlight-reel plays. He completed 69.5% of his passes for 3,065 yards, 25 TDs and eight interceptions, while also running for 611 yards and six TDs with his blazing speed and elusiveness.

With Williams’ previously expected return and a program-best 12th-ranked recruiting class, the future appeared bright for the Huskies heading into Year 3 of the Fisch era in 2026.

But now, that optimism has been replaced by all sorts of question marks and uncertainty.

Ex-UW Huskies coach Rick Neuheisel returns to coaching

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