The Huskies are expected to try and enforce the previous contract signed by the sophomore quarterback
The Washington Huskies football team was shook to its core on Tuesday (Jan. 6) with the news sophomore quarterback Demond Williams Jr. is entering the transfer portal.
The report was a surprise because Williams signed a new deal to stay with Washington for the 2026 season just four days earlier.
Williams entered the transfer portal with a "do not contact" tag, meaning his destination was likely already decided. But the saga doesn't appear over yet.
According to a story from Sam Jane, Chris Vannini, Bruce Feldman and Ralph D. Russo of the Athletic, the Huskies have "no intention" of releasing Williams from his contract and plan on pursuing legal action to enforce the contract.
As of the story being published, Williams hadn't submitted the paperwork with Washington compliance officers to enter the portal before he made his announcement on his Instagram page.
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Because the NIL and transfer portal are still in a relative infancy, there's been very little precedent in schools being able to effectively dispute a transfer. There are, however, recent examples of attempts to do just that.
Georgia is currently trying to get $390,000 from former defensive end Damon Wilson II under the claim he violated his Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deal with the Georgia NIL collective after he transferred to Missouri.
Wisconsin also tried to stop cornerback Xavier Lucas from transferring to Miami after he signed a two-year NIL deal with the Badgers.
The case against Wilson is still ongoing and Wisconsin was unable to prevent Lucas from playing for the Hurricanes this past season.
There also is another factor at play that could complicate legal disputes between Williams and the Huskies.
Williams and Washington head coach Jedd Fisch reportedly share the same agent with Wasserman Football.
Williams is coming off his first full season as a starting quarterback at the collegiate level.
In 13 games (all starts), Williams completed 69.5% of his passes for 3,065 yards, 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also rushed 143 times for 611 yards and six touchdowns.
Williams' 3,676 yards led the Big Ten.
Williams ended the season on an emphatic note. He went 15-for-24 for 215 yards and four touchdowns in the Huskies' 38-10 win against the Boise State Broncos in the Los Angeles Bowl on Dec. 13.
Williams was named All-Big Ten honorable mention for his performance in 2025.
There was no confirmed report on where Williams would be heading in the portal but rumors indicate he could be trying to join LSU and new head coach Lane Kiffin.
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