After Demond Williams Jr. exit, can Jedd Fisch keep Washington Huskies afloat?

Jedd Fisch’s dream is now a nightmare.

On Nov. 11, 2024, the University of Washington’s first-year football coach discussed the decision to play freshman quarterback Demond Williams Jr. for the second half of a 35-6 loss at No. 6 Penn State. After replacing senior starter Will Rogers, Williams completed 6 of 10 passes for 60 yards, took three sacks and scrambled for an additional 38 yards. It was an imperfect performance for the former four-star recruit, who had followed Fisch from Arizona to Montlake 10 months earlier.

But Fisch had more than a mop-up half in mind.

“At the end of this season he’ll probably have 150 to 200 snaps, and then we got him for three more years,” Fisch said two days after the defeat. “We’ve got an opportunity to take those three years, and … I’ve never had a quarterback for that long. So this is like a dream of mine.

“I think I’ve had 19 [starting] quarterbacks in 20 years. So the idea of having a guy for a couple years that we can build this thing through is … ”

A giddy grin crept across the 48-year-old’s face.

“ … pretty exciting.”

Fast-forward 14 months.

Dream dashed, future tattered, excitement fading, what does Fisch do now?

That’s what I want to talk about. Not Williams’ decision to enter the NCAA transfer portal despite a lucrative revenue share agreement he reportedly signed last week. Or the inexcusable timing of his announcement, which hit social media while teammates attended a memorial service for former UW soccer player Mia Hamant. Or the undoubtedly looming legal fight, which won’t result in a magic reconciliation. Or the continued fracturing of college football, as a sport we love is bludgeoned by the brutal bottom line.   

The internet has already obsessed over all of the above.

Until collective bargaining makes these contracts more than paper promises, dreams will be buried under mounds of dirty money. The question is whether Washington (or Washington State, more extremely) can withstand it.

I don’t blame Williams for being lured by life-changing money, particularly when the 5-foot-11 passer’s stature suggests he may never draw more. And I don’t blame anyone for falling out of love with college football. The ultimate enemy is not a naive 19-year-old, nor even the programs that guiltlessly leap through loopholes to raid your favorite team.

It’s a system that’s tied this sport to the tracks while the money train roars through it, then backs up and goes again.

Regardless of the legal and financial ramifications in the months to come, Williams will not play another down at UW. Too much damage has been done.

So, again, what does Fisch do now?

The simple/complicated answer: sign a quarterback. That’s easier said than done, considering Williams waited six days into the transfer portal window to pick a parachute. Fisch and Co. had likely done little work to scout or contact coveted quarterbacks, assuming their starter would honor his signed contract. Meanwhile, Brendan Sorsby (Texas Tech), Drew Mestemaker (Oklahoma State), Rocco Becht (Penn State), Josh Hoover (Indiana) and Aidan Chiles (Northwestern), etc., have committed elsewhere.

Fisch doesn’t have time to mourn a future that no longer exists.

There are still available options, and CBS Sports senior reporter Matt Zenitz indicated Wednesday that former Missouri and Penn State QB Beau Pribula is already visiting Montlake.

But anyone can sign a quarterback. The stakes for signing the right signal caller quickly are significant. (For proof, ex-Husky Michael Penix Jr. is Exhibit A.)

As Fisch said after the 38-10 LA Bowl win over Boise State on Dec. 13: “I think our guys know that we have a great season coming ahead of us. We have a great team. They’re led by an elite player. When you have an elite quarterback, you got a great opportunity to win a lot of games.”

A great team requires a productive player at the most important position in sports. It also requires a deep and capable supporting cast, and the transfer portal doesn’t close until Jan. 16. So it’s critical that Fisch recruits his own roster to prevent a program exodus like the one he inherited two years ago.

If he’s the man for this moment, he’ll sign a quarterback that salvages the program’s remaining momentum. He’ll keep UW’s existing core together, while improving with outside additions. He’ll convince a donor and fan base disillusioned by annual exits and tattered tradition that their money and time matter more than ever.

If he’s not the man for this moment, we’ll know soon enough.

Granted, Fisch — whose own recent rumored departure would have prompted a rebuild — can’t lecture anyone about loyalty. What he can do is prove he’s building something bigger than any single player.

UW made meaningful strides last season, going 9-4 while signing the top recruiting class in modern program history. With Williams, Washington was considered a fringe College Football Playoff contender in 2026.

Without Williams?  

It’s up to Fisch to realize an updated dream.