$4 million college football QB admits to major mistake after transfer portal rollercoaster

A quarterback at a major college football program admitted to a mistake after nearly transferring.

Washington Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. (2) is forced out of bounds by Boise State Broncos defensive back Jeremiah Earby (6) | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The 2026 NCAA transfer portal wrapped up yet another chaotic cycle at the end of January.

The transfer portal's two-week entry window ran from Jan. 2 to Jan. 16. Most of the thousands of college football players who decided to enter the portal made that choice prior to the window, but several entered during the two-week period.

One player who nearly entered the NCAA transfer portal during the two-week window was Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. The Huskies' starter ultimately decided to remain in Seattle despite temptation from high bidders in the portal.

The 5-foot-11, 190-pounder originally committed to Arizona as a four-star prospect in the class of 2024. However, when Wildcats' head coach Jedd Fisch filled the vacancy left by Kalen DeBoer at Washington, Williams followed him.

Mississippi State transfer Will Rogers was the Huskies' starter going into 2024, but Williams still saw the field in all 13 games. In total, Williams completed 82 of 105 passes for 944 yards, eight touchdowns and an interception while rushing for 282 yards and two more touchdowns.

Washington Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. (2) warms up before the game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

In his first season as Washington's starter, Williams threw for 3,065 yards, 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions to go with 611 yards and six more touchdowns on the ground. He was named an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention by the Big Ten coaches.

Just days before his entry into the NCAA transfer portal, Williams had signed a $4 million NIL extension with the Huskies for the 2026 season.

When he entered the portal, he was dropped by his agency and threatened with legal action by the University of Washington. LSU was the prime suspect for tampering when Williams entered the portal.

However, Williams decided to remain at Washington two days after announcing his decision to enter the portal. Williams recently opened up about some of the details about his near departure from Washington in a media availability.

"Definitely being 19, you get good advice, and you get really bad advice at times. We're all human. We all make mistakes. And at the end of the day, I'm super blessed to be here with my brothers and my coaches at the University of Washington," Williams said. "I'm just so happy to be here and so blessed."

Heated situations like the one Williams and Washington dealt with are becoming more common across college football. Duke lost quarterback Darian Mensah to Miami in the 2026 offseason after Mensah had signed an extension to stay with the Blue Devils. Like Washington, Duke brought legal action, but the result was a settlement that allowed Mensah to enter the portal.