Jedd Fisch is gaslighting himself on Demond Williams and that's for the best

Jedd Fisch joined On3.com's Andy and Ari show and talked all about his plans for next year, the offseason so far, and other talking points. One of the biggest talking points and the clips that are circulating the most on social media have to do with Demond Williams trying to transfer and then deciding to stay at Washington. Fisch was very positive about it all and continued to spin it in a good way, and while it's a bit of a gaslighting situation, that's good news.

The most viral and debated quote by the national media from Fisch is when he said, "Most of these top quarterbacks switch schools, ours didn't." In other words, Fisch is saying it's super normal for top quarterbacks to transfer for more money, but he was able to keep his. That's a wild spin, but an important spin.

Jedd Fisch's positive spin on Demond Williams is just what the Huskies need

Let's state the facts first and then we can let Fisch have his beautiful gaslighting narrative...for it is actually good news. Demond Williams Jr. was lured into the portal by influential voices in his life, and he announced this decision during a memorial service for a fellow Washington student athlete, Mia Hamant, while many of his teammates were in attendance. He blindsided everyone, including Fisch.

This sent things into a tailspin for 48 hours while Fisch was talking to his quarterback, agents were making phone calls, teammates were confused, and Husky fans were irate. After hiring counsel, the same lawyer who helped Xavier Lucas leave Wisconsin for Miami, he was advised to stay at Washington.

Now, how much of that decision was because he truly was talked back into it by Fisch or his teammates or even his own instincts, no one will ever know except him. However, his decision to stay was almost just as shocking.

Fisch has now taken the stance that, "Demond was going to come back here after we talked for that day or two. He needed to understand what our plan was. I think he felt there were a lot of teams that were making him feel good at that moment in time, to join what they had going. There was tampering, if you want to call it that. I don't know if that exists anymore, but that was happening."

Fisch has taken this stance all the way to, "Demond didn't transfer while other top quarterbacks did." He even went as far as to say in the same interview that in recruiting, a top recruiter needs to step back and pause. That's what Williams was doing. Which, is wild because Williams clearly tried to leave and his contract held him to Washington. Sure, Williams has pivoted, and he's planning to ball out for the Huskies this season, but he clearly tried to leave no matter what Fisch now thinks.

Husky coaches and players need to put the Williams drama in the rearview mirror instead of having trust issues

The good news is, this is exactly the narrative that Fisch needs to continue to believe, help his team believe, and eventually even Husky fans. For if everyone can see things as "A simple mistake, a pause while he was being flooded with noise and opinions," it will be easier to move on. Let the 19-year-old make his selfish mistake and see it as a guy who ultimately looked at all the options and decided Washington was the best for him.

That may not be what actually happened, but for the betterment of Husky football, we need Fisch, Williams, and anyone else with influence on the team to believe it. For that's a rearview mirror approach instead of a constant nagging in the back of their mind going, "Williams doesn't actually want to be here."