Washington quarterback Demond Williams is attempting to mend fences with his school after briefly flirting with the transfer portal before rejoining the Huskies in Seattle.
The optics surrounding his initial announcement could hardly have been worse.
One of college football’s most promising quarterbacks is now working to rebuild his public image. The effort feels both sincere and, at times, carefully staged.
Demond Williams was going to enter the transfer portal.
Williams, a former four star prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, originally began his college career at Arizona. He later entered the portal and followed head coach Jedd Fisch to Washington.
The 5 foot 11, 190 pound dual threat quarterback started every game for the Huskies in 2025. He completed 69.5 percent of his passes for 3,065 yards and 25 touchdowns, while adding 611 rushing yards and six scores on 143 carries. That breakout sophomore campaign earned him honorable mention All Big Ten recognition.
Expectations are sky high heading into his junior season in 2026. Washington believes it can contend for the College Football Playoff, and Williams is viewed as the centerpiece of that push.
Williams signed a multi million dollar NIL agreement with the program in early January. Just days later, on Jan. 6, he stunned the college football world by announcing he intended to enter the transfer portal.
No one anticipated it. Not his coaches. Not the program. Nobody.
Rumors quickly swirled, including speculation that LSU and other programs were involved, with reports suggesting offers well above what Washington had already committed. The situation raised questions about potential tampering.
Washington got him back.
Williams faced immediate backlash after his portal announcement, and Washington had no intention of letting him walk away from his contract without a fight. The university was reportedly prepared to pursue legal action.
Then, two days later, Williams reversed course and announced he was staying in Seattle.
“I don’t even know what exactly happened,” Fisch said. “I think that there was a lot of speculation on who was getting involved and who was trying to get involved. I don’t think it’s hard to kind of figure out through just what was going on at that moment in time in college football and who was looking for an elite quarterback. I don’t think that’s that confusing. But nothing ever got to the point – there was no visit, there was no him seeing and talking to another coach.
“There wasn’t a spot where he was saying, ‘Hey, I want to at least push the limits here.’ We didn’t get to any of that. We just had a couple days of some pretty heartfelt conversations and talked about how we got to where we are, where we want to go, what we want it to look like and how we’re going to do this together.”
The entire episode was strange, and questionable advice helped turn Williams into a temporary villain in the eyes of many fans.
He skipped Mia Hamant’s celebration of life.
What intensified the backlash was the timing. Williams made his portal announcement less than a week after signing his NIL deal, and he did so during a celebration of life for Washington women’s soccer player Mia Hamant, who passed away from cancer.
While much of the Huskies coaching staff and player base attended the memorial, Williams’ decision broke publicly during the service. Fisch’s wife criticized him in a blunt Instagram post, and others echoed similar frustrations. Williams later issued an apology.
“I apologize that the timing of these events coincided with the celebration of life for Mia Hamant, a beloved member of our University community. I never intended to call attention away from such an important moment. I am excited to reunite with my teammates and to lead the University of Washington to success in the 2026 season and beyond.”
An apology tour is underway.
Fisch recently shared that Williams plans to meet with the women’s soccer team later this week. While taking responsibility is commendable, some believe the apology would have carried more meaning if handled privately rather than publicly.
Still, the move may help rebuild trust, not only within the athletic department but also with a fan base that felt blindsided.
Whether the gesture is driven more by obligation than emotion is open to debate, but it remains a step in the right direction. Williams has also been visible around campus, including attending the women’s basketball game Wednesday night alongside his teammates.
Demond Williams is making a clear effort to repair his image. He is trying to make amends with his teammates, coaches, university community, and fans. For now, it is a meaningful start.