All offseason long, Jedd Fisch has been emphatic that the Washington Huskies have one of the nation’s best quarterbacks in Demond Williams Jr., and on Wednesday morning, the sophomore showed up on CBS Sports’ Bud Elliott’s list of the top ten returning quarterbacks in the 2025 season.
Despite making just two starts, Elliott ranked Williams at No. 7, which places him as the No. 2 quarterback in the Big Ten, only behind Penn State’s Drew Allar, who came in at No. 3. After completing over 78 percent of his passes for 944 yards and 8 touchdowns, while adding 282 yards and 2 scores on the ground.
As Fisch has been his quarterback’s biggest hype man, Williams has mostly ignored the rise in his stock and has focused on getting bigger and better throughout the offseason.
“Obviously, football is first, but I’m blessed to have those opportunities in my life, and I’d just love to continue to have those opportunities,” Williams said of his growing brand, which included an autograph signing over the weekend with local clothing brand Simply Seattle.
Through Washington’s first four practices, Williams has shown the same flashes of his immense talent with his arm and his legs that he did in the Sun Bowl, where he completed over 80 percent of his passes for 374 yards and 4 touchdowns, and picked up 48 yards and an additional score on the ground. He has formed a strong connection with Penn State transfer Omari Evans with Denzel Boston sidelined, and combined with Rashid Williams, Freshman All-American Decker DeGraaf, and a host of promising true freshmen, he should have a promising group of pass catchers at his disposal.
While he’s impressed the media in attendance with his arm talent, which has included a handful of very well-placed throws, some of Washington’s transfer portal additions have gotten their first up-close look at his athleticism, which should be a major difference maker during the 2025 season.
“He’s fast, he’s fast,” linebacker Buddah Al-Uqdah said of chasing the sophomore. “You’ve got to be on your P’s and Q’s when you’re chasing him. I don’t want to give other teams too many tips, but he’s a problem for sure.”
