Just two days after setting the college football world on fire by announced he'd be entering the transfer portal, Demond Williams Jr. has decided to stay a Washington Husky. His decision to depart gained national attention because it came less than a week after Williams and Washington agreed to a revenue-sharing agreement which was supposed to keep the Chandler, Ariz. native in town for his junior season.
Now, amid widespread criticism, pending legal action from Washington, and calls for investigation into tampering by other schools, the Huskies quarterback has backed out of the transfer portal. After two of the most chaotic days in program history, Williams announced his return on Instagram:
This is Washington QB Demond Williams’ statement posted on his Instagram account: pic.twitter.com/wcmxb7tGIQ
— Nick Lemkau (@nicklemkaucfb) January 9, 2026
Washington QB Demond Williams Jr. won't leave the Huskies after all
Many people thought such a return was impossible. Williams, who was dropped by his agent after announcing his decision to transfer, didn’t warn players or coaches, who found out over social media alongside equally-stunned Husky fans.
The timing of Williams Jr.’s announcement also created significant backlash online, as his post went public while most of the team was attending a celebration of life for the late Husky goalkeeper Mia Hamant. Williams Jr. apologized for the mistake in his return announcement, but not before Amber Fisch, wife of Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch, shared some choice words online.
Washington’s head coach, athletic director react to Williams Jr.’s return
Following Williams Jr.’s announcement, Fisch and UW Director of Athletics Patrick Chun put out joint statements in support of the quarterback’s return:
Statements from Head Coach Jedd Fisch and UW Director of Athletics Pat Chun. pic.twitter.com/gq7wDL0cn5
— Washington Athletics (@UWAthletics) January 9, 2026
It makes sense that Fisch, who previously recruited Williams Jr. to Arizona, would fight to keep his quarterback around, even after such a debacle. It’s also a good sign to see Chun and the school’s athletic department openly support Williams Jr. as the future of Husky football.
There’s clearly staff support behind Williams Jr.’s return, but that’s only a third of the battle. We may never know exactly how Washington’s players are feeling, but any feelings of abandonment that materialized over the last two days will surely take time to fade. However, Williams Jr.’s biggest challenge in a path to forgiveness involves neither the locker room nor the coaching staff.
What about the fans?
Winning back Washington's fans will be very, very difficult to do. Williams Jr. deactivated the comment section on his since-deleted transfer announcement post, but the comments on his other posts made it clear that a significant portion of Husky fans were hurt by his decision.
There was a similar outpouring of negativity on social media from those who felt scorned by Williams Jr.’s decision to violate both his contractual obligations and the trust of a fanbase that had been fully behind him only a few days ago.
What’s the consensus among Husky fans following Williams Jr.’s return? It’s early, but the anger which has been building since Tuesday doesn’t seem to have subsided quite yet.
As today's news broke, Dave “Softy” Mahler of Seattle's 93.3 KJR FM posted a poll to his X/Twitter account, asking fans whether or not they want Williams Jr. back with Washington. At time of posting, more than 70% of fans who responded are against a reunion with the leader of last year's team.
Do you want Demond Williams back at UW?
— Dave “Softy” Mahler (@Softykjr) January 9, 2026
It’s tough to blame Husky fans here. No one wants to feel abandoned, and the nature of Williams Jr.’s brief abandonment may have burned bridges that some fans will never rebuild. It doesn't help that his return address gave no mention of the fanbase that's cheered him on for most of the last two seasons.
Zion Tupuola-Fetui, a former third-team All American defensive lineman who played for the Huskies from 2018-2023, seemed skeptical that Williams Jr. would ever be able to repair his relationship with the fans:
Idk man… it’s gonna be a hard relationship to fix with the fanbase. I think the damage is done
— ZTF (@ztupufet) January 9, 2026
Unfortunately for Williams Jr., there’s little he can do to change how fans feel until he has an opportunity to win his next football game, an opportunity which he won’t get for at least another seven months. Williams Jr. better do a lot of winning in 2026, or he could be forced out by a fanbase that may already have had enough.