Jedd Fisch addresses 'speculation' about programs involved with Demond Williams transfer saga

When news broke that Demond Williams planned to enter the NCAA transfer portal, questions swirled about what could be next. He had just signed a new deal with Washington, and On3’s Pete Nakos reported the school did not have any intention of entering Williams’ name in the portal.

Two days later, Williams announced his return to the Huskies in 2026, ending the saga. As he looked back on the situation, UW coach Jedd Fisch said he still isn’t sure what exactly happened. But he addressed the “speculation” about programs that might have been involved with his young quarterback.

In addition, Fisch confirmed Williams did not engage in conversations with other coaches nor did he attempt to push any boundaries. Instead, the two had conversations about the situation and what the future could hold.

“I don’t even know what exactly happened,” Fisch said Wednesday. “I think that there was a lot of speculation on who was getting involved and who was trying to get involved. I don’t think it’s hard to kind of figure out through just what was going on at that moment in time in college football and who was looking for an elite quarterback. I don’t think that’s that confusing. But nothing ever got to the point – there was no visit, there was no him seeing and talking to another coach.

“There wasn’t a spot where he was saying, ‘Hey, I want to at least push the limits here.’ We didn’t get to any of that. We just had a couple days of some pretty heartfelt conversations and talked about how we got to where we are, where we want to go, what we want it to look like and how we’re going to do this together.”

More on Demond Williams’ return to Washington

Demond Williams put together a standout sophomore season at Washington after taking over as starting quarterback. He threw for 3,065 yards and 25 touchdowns while adding 611 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground.

After the season, he signed an agreement with Washington to make him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in college football. Williams inked the deal four days before taking to social media to announce his plans to enter the transfer portal. UW planned to enforce the deal, On3 previously reported.

Ultimately, after the situation took a few turns – including an agent change – Williams announced he was staying at Washington. He also apologized for the timing of his initial announcement, which came during the memorial service for late UW women’s soccer player Mia Hamant.

“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.”