Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. reportedly agreed to a deal last week to return to the Huskies for his sophomore year.
On Tuesday, he announced that he instead is entering the transfer portal. And Washington is reportedly pursuing legal action to challenge his decision.
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Per ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Washington is “prepared to pursue all legal avenues to enforce Demond Williams’ signed contract.”
Williams: ‘I have to do what is best for me’
This report arrived Tuesday night shortly after Williams issued a statement on social media announcing his decision to enter the transfer portal.
Williams’ statement went at length to offer thanks to the Washington program, its coaching staff, his teammates and the Seattle community before concluding thusly:
“I have to do what is best for me and my future. After much thought and prayer, I will be entering the transfer portal.”
Will Williams end up at LSU?
It’s not clear what sparked Williams’ decision to transfer and walk away from a deal ESPN reported was “near the top of the market.” But CBS Sports reported Tuesday night that Lane Kiffin and LSU are expected to pursue him.
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In the nascent world of NIL, it’s also not clear what legal standing Washington has to enforce the original agreement and whether the pursuit will be worthwhile in the end with a player who doesn’t want to be there.
Wherever Williams plays next season, he’ll do so as one of the top quarterbacks in the country. In 13 games last season, Willams completed 69.5% of his passes for 3,065 yards with 25 touchdowns and 8 interceptions for a Washington team that finished 9-4 last season and in seventh place in the Big Ten.
