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By Hunt Palmer
A whirlwind in Washington has calmed.
Demond Williams will return to quarterback the Huskies in 2026. After agreeing to a new deal to return on January 3, Williams announced he would be entering the portal on Wednesday night. Twenty-four hours later, that has changed.
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Washington and the Big Ten declared they would seek legal recourse to keep Williams out of the portal per his new agreement. Agent Doug Hendrickson announced he would no longer represent Williams, and Miami-area attorney Darren Heitner was retained by Williams. Hours later, the announcement of the return was made.
Ross Dellenger reported Williams would have owed Washington the full value of his contract, roughly $4 million. That cost plus the value of a new deal means a school would have likely had to pay in excess of $8 million to land Williams.
If he had left, Demond Williams or his new school would have owed Washington the value of his contract ($4 million), sources tell @YahooSports. His new school would have also incurred a reduction in its revenue-share pool next year by that amount, per House settlement guidelines https://t.co/bJN6y3OQOY
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) January 9, 2026
Lane Kiffin and Charlie Weis Jr. have had a relationship with Williams for five years, and LSU could have been a landing spot for the star quarterback in the portal. Instead, LSU’s search continues.
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