Washington guard Demond Williams Jr.'s decision to enter the transfer portal shocked and angered the Huskies because just days earlier the star sophomore had signed a lucrative name, image and likeness deal to remain in Seattle.
A lawsuit by Washington would not be a surprise two weeks after similar events prompted him lawsuit swap involving Damon Wilson IIedge rusher who transferred from Georgia to Missouri in January 2025, days after signing a zero-sum contract.
With recruiting strategy reduced to throwing stacks of zero dollars at players jumping through the transfer portal seemingly at will, it's no surprise that loyalty and etiquette have given way to opportunity and greed.
And it should surprise no one that the rules may be enforced by referees rather than NCAA officials or conference commissioners.
According to ESPN's Pete ThamelWashington is “willing to pursue all legal avenues to enforce Williams' contract” and the quarterback situation has also “attracted the attention of the Big Ten.” Washington already has refused to enter Williams' name to the portal, citing language in the NIL contract that states the school is not obligated to do so.
Washington appears to want to play hardball, much like Georgia is trying to do with Wilson, whose countersuit against the Bulldogs alleges he was one of several players forced to sign his zero-equity contract on Dec. 21, 2024. Georgia is seeking $390,000 in damages, citing a liquidated damages clause in a zero-equity contract that may or may not be upheld in court.
Washington officials suspect another school contacted Williams after he signed with the Huskies and provided the Big Ten with evidence of interference. Tony Petitti, the conference commissioner, was in Seattle on Tuesday with Celebrating the lifetime of service of Washington goalkeeper Mia Hamantdied on November 6 from a rare form of kidney cancer.
Many Huskies players and coaches were also present when Williams took to Instagram to make his official announcement about entering the transfer portal.
“Publishing his decision to log into the portal while on duty was at best the result of terrible advice from his PR team, and at worst a stunning lack of self-knowledge.” written by Matt Calkins in the Seattle Times.
Williams' deal with Washington was worth $4 million through 2026, a reasonable amount for a quarterback who ranked among the top 15 in the country in passing efficiency, passing yards and yards per attempt. He attempted to enter a portal with a “do not contact” label, indicating that he had a destination in mind.
A timeline of top quarterback movements in recent days provides circumstantial evidence that Louisiana State and Williams have a mutual interest. LSU, of course, has a new coach in Lane Kiffin and needs a quarterback. It turns out that Williams and Kiffin are not strangers.
Kiffin's first target was Brendan Sorsby, who left Cincinnati but transferred to Texas Tech. Arizona State's Sam Leavitt is considered the best defensive tackle left in the portal, and he visited Baton Rouge this week before heading to Tennessee for another visit.
However, Kiffin could easily shift his attention to Williams, a dual-threat signal-caller who committed to Ole Miss when Kiffin was coach in high school. He eventually signed with Arizona, and when coach Jedd Fisch took the Washington job, Williams followed him.
Williams blossomed as a sophomore in 2025, passing for 3,065 yards and 25 touchdowns with eight interceptions while adding 611 yards and six touchdowns on the ground.
In its long Instagram post, Williams thanked everyone involved with Washington before breaking the news: “I have to do what's best for me and my future. After much thought and prayer, I will enter the transfer portal.”
He's not there yet.
