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UW Offers Arizona QB Short on Inches, Long on Leadership

Demond Williams Jr. is a Class of 2024 recruit who stands just 5-foot-11.
Dan Raley|
UW Offers Arizona QB Short on Inches, Long on Leadership
UW Offers Arizona QB Short on Inches, Long on Leadership

Demond Williams Jr. might have been shorted a couple of inches, but he's got time on his side.

A compact 5-foot-11, 160-pound quarterback for Basha High School in Chandler, Arizona, Williams has been the starter as a freshman and sophomore. 

Having already piled up 4,446 career passing yards, he's taking aim at breaking the state record of 11,083 yards, set by Spencer Rattler, the Oklahoma turned South Carolina QB and someone whom Williams considers as a good friend.

The 6-foot-1 Rattler performed his passing magic for Pinnacle High School in Phoenix.

“I want to break the Basha records first then go after what my guy Spencer Rattler did here in Arizona,” Williams told the East Valley Tribune. “I think I’m on track right now."

Though it usually likes its quarterbacks a little taller, the University of Washington apparently is enamored with his attitude and this week offered the dual-threat Williams a scholarship. The Huskies brought him in last weekend for their Junior Day event.

He clearly shows leadership skills that college programs greatly admire at his position. After helping direct the Basha Bears to a 10-1 record this past fall, he's field 10 scholarship offers. Arizona, Colorado, Iowa State, Louisville and TCU are among his pursuers.

A Class of 2024 prospect, Williams completed 166 of 233 passes for 2,632 yards and 20 touchdowns, with just 4 interceptions.

While he chases down Rattler's gaudy passing totals, he supersedes him as a runner, running for 883 yards and 17 touchdowns in his career so far. 

Most of all, he couldn't be more relaxed and confident when leading his Basha team down the field, reasons more and more colleges are willing to overlook his lack of height and envision him making Russell Wilson-like plays.

“I’ve kind of calmed down now,” Williams said. “I’m becoming more comfortable. Some teams are starting to spy me a little bit for when I get out of the pocket but I kind of approach it like I’m playing 7-on-7 with a line. I just have to find my guys and air it out.”

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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