After a whirlwind 48 hours, Demond Williams is officially staying in Seattle. He will return to Washington in 2026, he announced via social media.
Williams made waves earlier this week when he announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal despite signing a new contract at UW late last week. In light of his decision, Washington was preparing to enforce the terms of the deal, and On3’s Pete Nakos said the school had no intention of entering Williams’ name in the portal because of the signed contract.
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There was dialogue between Williams and Washington throughout Thursday as the two sides discussed a potential return. Thursday night, he announced he was coming back, after all.
“After thoughtful reflection with my family, I am excited to announce that I will continue my football journey at the University of Washington,” Williams wrote. “I am deeply grateful to my coaches, teammates, and everyone in the program for fostering an environment where I can thrive both as an athlete and as an individual. I am fully committed and focused on contributing to what we are building.
“Additionally, 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.”
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The Williams situation became one of the top stories in college football after he said he intended to leave Washington. After his announcement, On3 reported LSU would be one of the schools to watch in his recruitment if he entered the portal.
Even after Williams announced he planned to enter the portal, the Huskies expected him to be their quarterback in 2026. The school is also set to make him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in college football.
Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger added Washington had been in contact with the Big Ten about the situation. The conference drafts rev-share contracts for its league members, and UW described Williams’ deal as a binding agreement with the school. Dellenger also reported Washington suspected another school contacted Williams before his announcement.
In the time since Williams’ announcement, things continued to shift. Notably, Thursday afternoon, agent Doug Hendrickson of Wasserman Sports announced he would no longer represent Williams. Hendrickson also reps Washington coach Jedd Fisch. In the meantime, Williams retained attorney Darren Heitner.
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Williams put together a standout sophomore season at Washington after taking over as starting quarterback, throwing for 3,065 yards and 25 touchdowns while adding 611 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground.
