New details have emerged regarding Demond Williams and his attempt to access the transfer portalhighlighting why Washington the authorities refuse to process his request.
According to Ross Dellenger Yahoo SportsWilliams recently signed a one-year revenue-sharing deal with the Huskies, worth approximately $4 million. The agreement is a Big Ten-approved model used by all conference members and was specifically designed to address scenarios like this.
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The contract obviously prohibits Williams from entering the transfer portal once signed and restricts the use of his NIL rights by another school. He is still allowed to enter into outside marketing deals according to Dellenger.
As a result, Washington refused to put Williams’ name in the portal, preventing him from having conversations with other programs. Dellenger reported this commissioner of the Big Ten Conference Tony Petitti is heavily involved in the matter, along with other league officials.
Furthermore, the conference supports Washington’s tough stance. Coincidentally, Petitti is in Seattle this week for a memorial service while discussions continue.
Additionally, Washington officials are expected to communicate with Williams’ representatives later Tuesday regarding next steps. The school also suspects Williams has already spoken with other programs and plans to submit any evidence of tampering to both the conference and the NCAA. LSU is considered the program most interested in Williams.
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Less than a week before announcing his transfer intention, Williams signed the new deal in Washington, a development first reported by Pete Nakos of On3. Sources stressed to Nakos that Williams remains under contract and that Washington expects him to be its starting quarterback in 2026 under the head coach. Jedd Fisch. The Huskies were also willing to make Williams one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in college football.
The situation mirrors a similar case last year involving Wisconsin Badgers defenseman Xavier LucasWHO withdrew from Wisconsin and signed up for the Miami Hurricanes without entering the portal.
Wisconsin claimed Lucas was bound by a two-year NIL agreement and filed suit, with attorney Darren Heitner representing Lucas. That lawsuit is still ongoing, and Dellenger noted that the language used in Williams’ agreement closely resembles the model used in the Wisconsin case.
Williams is coming off an outstanding sophomore season, throwing for 3,065 yards and 25 touchdowns while adding 611 rushing yards and six scores. In announcing his intention to transfer Tuesday night, Williams said the decision was made with his future in mind, even though Washington appears ready to enforce the contract he signed days earlier.
—Nick Schultz of On3 contributed to this article.
