The sophomore quarterback's various announcements this week came at a time of mourning for Washington athletics
Fans of the Washington Huskies football team are still split on the now-concluded Demond Williams Jr. saga.
The sophomore quarterback, who led the Big Ten in total yards this past season (3,676), signed a deal to return to the team for the 2026 season Jan. 2. Four days later, Williams announced his intention to enter the transfer portal. On Jan. 8, the Huskies signal-caller announced he would return to the team.
It was a confusing and tumultuous week of news, which included Washington considering legal action to enforce the contract Williams signed, and the quarterback being dropped by his agency.
There's obvious lingering concerns about how his series of decisions will impact his relationship with his teammates but he might have some fences to mend beyond the locker room, as well.
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When the news of Williams' intention to transfer broke, a large contingent of the football team was at Mia Hamant's Celebration of Life at Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle.
Hamant was a member of the Huskies women's soccer team who died of kidney cancer in 2025.
Williams apologized for the timing of his announcement in a post on Instagram where he also announced he would be return to the team.
" ... 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," Williams said in the statement. "I never intended to call attention away from such an important moment."
Washington football coach Jedd Fisch went on Seattle radio station 93.3 KJR FM on Thursday (Jan. 8) and said he personally reached out to Hamant's coaches and family about the situation.
"I spoke with (women's soccer head coach Nicole Van Dyke) myself today," Fisch said on the radio appearance. "I apologized on the behalf of Washington football. ... I'm the head coach. I'm responsible for our program. I have reached out to both Mia's mom and dad and I want to make sure that they understand that one had nothing to do with the other. While the timing we all wish was different, I can promise you, from my conversations with Demond, there was zero intent to take anything at all to take anything away from that service."
Fisch went on to say that when it came to Williams personally reaching out or making a donation to a charity to honor Hamant, that should be his own decision and of his volition rather than someone else advising him to.
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