Ex-Basha QB Demond Williams Jr. stirs Washington-LSU transfer dispute
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College football is in a different era, with Name, Image and Likeness deals and the transfer portal dominating headlines.
The latest saga involves Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr., the former Chandler Basha star who led the Bears to the Arizona Interscholastic Association Open Division state title in 2022.
It was reported on Jan. 2 by ESPN’s Pete Thamel that Williams, who just finished his sophomore season with the Huskies, had agreed to a deal to return to Washington. The one-year deal was near the top of the market, around $4 million, according to Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger.
Then on Jan. 6, Thamel reported that Williams was entering the transfer portal with a do-not-contact tag, which means the player controls communication, allowing them to limit requests and focus on a few schools. Multiple sources are reporting that LSU is the school interested in Williams.
This has led Washington to begin pursuing legal options, as the deal reportedly featured an agreement that prevented Williams from entering the portal and prohibited the player’s NIL rights from being used by any other school once it was signed. Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti has gotten involved in the situation, according to Dellenger.
At the moment, Washington has reportedly refused to enter Williams’ name into the transfer portal.
This isn’t the first time that Williams has been involved with switching schools. He initially committed to Ole Miss in December 2022, under then-coach Lane Kiffin. In July 2023, Williams reopened the recruiting process and committed to Arizona and Jedd Fisch’s staff. When Fisch was hired by Washington in January 2024, Williams switched his commitment and followed Fisch to Seattle.
Besides Williams’ ties to the area as a prep star, the Phoenix area is connected to this story in another way — via Sam Leavitt. The former Arizona State quarterback was visiting LSU, literally attending a basketball game with new coach Lane Kiffin, when the news of Williams entering the transfer portal dropped.
If Williams does sign with LSU, that likely will push Leavitt out of landing in Baton Rouge and leave him still searching for a home after Texas Tech went with Brendan Sorsby.
Since graduating from Basha, Williams has developed into a top college player. As a sophomore, Williams threw for 3,065 passing yards and 25 touchdowns. He also ran for 611 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. Washington went 9-4, beating Boise State in the LA Bowl.
Coming out of high school, Williams was a four-star recruit and the No. 19 quarterback in the 2024 signing class, according to 247Sports.
Logan Stanley is a sports reporter with The Arizona Republic who primarily focuses on high school, college and Olympic sports. To suggest ideas for human-interest stories and other news, reach out to Stanley at logan.stanley@usatodayco.com or 707-293-7650. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @LSscribe.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Former Basha QB Demond Williams Jr. in middle of transfer saga
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