UW Roster Review : Time For Williams To Take Next Step

The Husky quarterback has been on a steady ascent as the starter and now needs a signature win.

Demond Williams played half of the UW Spring Game. | Dave Sizer phot

Against Louisville in the 2024 Sun Bowl, Demond Williams Jr. threw four touchdown passes and ran for a fifth score.

Last season against Rutgers, the University of Washington quarterback threw for 402 yards and rushed for 136, becoming the 16th player in NCAA history to turn in a 400/100 game.

He started as a freshman and might be the fastest quarterback across the college football landscape.

Williams also made himself a household name by briefly entering the transfer portal reportedly at the urging of LSU before abandoning that unexpected move and settling back in with coach Jedd Fisch and the Huskies.

In two seasons in Montlake, he's done everything except win the big one as the starter -- going 0-for-Ohio State, Michigan and Oregon last fall.

Logically, it would seem to be time for Williams and the Huskies, in their third season together, to come up with one or more of those signature victories and put this team back in the College Football Playoff conversation.

Demond Williams Jr. turns to hand off the ball in spring practice. | Dave Sizer photo

This is one in a series of articles -- going from 0 to 99 on the Husky roster -- examining what each scholarship player and leading walk-on did in spring practice and what to expect from them going into fall camp.

"[I'm] just being more vocal and more outspoken as a leader, and also understanding where we're at as a team and what it's going to take to beat the teams that we didn't beat last year," Williams said.

Demond Williams Jr. looks for a spring receiver. | Dave Sizer photo

The UW has invested a lot in the 5-foot-11, 200-pound signal-caller from the Phoenix suburbs.

The Huskies reportedly are paying him close to $4 million per year to run the huddle and show off his elusiveness.

They've gone out and recruited a bunch of potential A-list offensive linemen to protect him, players such as John Mills and Kodi Greene.

The UW isn't even mad at him anymore for mulling his options that potentially could have crushed the program.

“We’re way past it," Fisch said at the beginning of spring ball. "He’s doing awesome. Team’s doing great. We’ve got a lot of things to worry about, none of which happened in January.”

Inexplicably, Williams started the Spring Game in an ineffectual manner by badly missing on three of his first four passes, throwing well behind his targeted teammates. He warmed up to connect on 3 of the next 4 with a 43-yard TD pass to Rashid Williams.

No pressure, but it's time for Williams to show major dividends, to come up with crunch-time heroics that the better quarterbacks supply, to avoid the kind of meltdown at Michigan where his flurry of second-half interceptions let the game get away him and his teammates.

Beating Rutgers and Maryland is one thing, but this dual-threat and well-paid Husky signal-caller should be satisfied with nothing less than beating an Indiana or Penn State, or both.

What he's done: In his UW career, Williams has completed 328 of 459 passes, a 71.4 percentage rate, for 4,009 yards and 33 touchdowns, with 9 interceptions. Similarly, he's run 226 times for 893 yards and 8 scores, with a long run of 43 yards. He also caught a 3-yard pass in each of his two seasons. He's responsible for a lot of yards.

Starter or not: He's played in all 26 Husky games held since arriving in Montlake and opened the past 15 consecutive. He's 9-6 as the QB starter, 1-1 in bowl games. Considering the five-for-five eligibility proposal that's out there, he could be the No. 1 quarterback for up to three more seasons. It should be plenty of time to get that signature win.