Should Washington Huskies bench Demond Williams Jr.? 4 big UW questions

Welcome to training camp, the sequel.

That’s what Jedd Fisch told the Washington football team at the start of its bye week, which included three straight days of physical practices, a less demanding workout Wednesday followed by lifting weights Thursday before two days off.

“We’re not veteran enough to have a substantial bye week,” he said. “We will take on the mindset that this is training camp.”

Before their break — that’s not really a break — Fisch summed up the state of the Huskies, who began the season ranked 17^th in The Associated Press poll and have fallen to 4-3 overall and 1-3 in the Big Ten.

“We didn’t rank us 17^th,” Fisch said. “While I appreciated the rankings, I think that it comes down to … how do we handle each week? We had a couple of games that didn’t go our way, that certainly could have and they just didn’t.

“Instead of sitting here and you’re talking about a 6-1 season, you’re looking at a 4-3 record.”

That’s a lot unpack and we’ll explore UW’s most pressing concerns with Huskies beat reporters Andy Yamashita and Percy Allen.

Let’s jump right into the topic of the week: the quarterbacks. Based on what we know, who do you think UW should start against Nebraska on Oct. 31?

Yamashita: Asking who should and asking who will are two very different questions right now. Elijah Brown has certainly done enough to warrant consideration, and after a three-touchdown, 302-yard passing performance, he’d be my choice to start under center against Nebraska. The three interceptions certainly leave questions about his viability as UW’s long-term solution, but his ability to play on schedule and give his playmakers opportunities allowed Washington to play its most cohesive offensive game of the season during the 38-26 victory against Purdue on Oct. 16. 

But Demond Williams Jr. has been coach Fisch’s guy for a long time. UW sacrificed short-term gains by getting him snaps as a freshman in 2024 and he rewarded them with a nine-win season a year later. His flip from Ole Miss to Arizona in 2023 was a major recruiting win for Fisch and his staff. Williams still has lots of ability, but it’s looking less and less likely that he’ll fulfill his potential with the Huskies.

Allen: If he’s medically cleared to play following the rib injury, it’s Williams for me. Obviously, he’s regressed a bit from last season, but he hasn’t forgotten how to play football. It would be interesting to see how Williams would perform if he had adequate support from a pedestrian rushing attack that hasn’t gained more than 148 yards in any of his six starts this season.

As good as Brown was in his starting debut, beating the Boilermakers is one thing, but the Cornhuskers have one of the best defenses in the Big Ten that feasted on the Oregon Ducks’ backup quarterbacks last week.

Aside from the quarterbacks, what’s the most pressing concern for the Huskies before their final five games?

Allen: Just one? There’s so many to choose. We’ve talked about this privately and I’ve touched on it in a few postgame reports, but the penalties are ridiculous. It’s just not winning football. And yes, I know UCLA is tied for first in the Big Ten standings while leading the league in penalties and penalty yards. But the Bruins are an outlier.

Washington, which lost two games by a combined seven points, isn’t good enough to overcome eight and 10 penalties, which led to losses to Minnesota and USC, respectively. Last year, UW finished second in the league in penalties and average penalty yards. This is on Fisch and defensive coordinator Ryan Walters. They’re either coaching it or allowing it to happen.

Yamashita: Both sides of the run game. Offensively, Washington has struggled mightily to run the ball because of attrition at running back and poor offensive line play. The Huskies continue to shuffle their offensive line, trying to get young players like Champ Taulealea and Kodi Greene snaps while maintaining the solidity brought by veterans like Kolt Dieterich and Geirean Hatchett. Through seven games in 2026, UW’s offensive line has arguably only won the line of scrimmage once — rushing for a season-high 186 yards against Purdue. 

But Washington’s defensive line has also endured some poor performances against the run since Big Ten play started. No. 17 Iowa rushed for 263 yards during its 41-24 win against Washington on Oct. 9. Minnesota tallied 125 yards rushing in Seattle during its 27-24 win on Sept. 26. And with Nebraska — the nation’s No. 33 rushing offense — waiting after the bye week, the UW defensive line has another big challenge awaiting. 

Who has impressed you on defense and why?

Yamashita: There are certainly some options here. Edge rusher Isaiah Ward had a great performance against Purdue. Linebacker Zaydrius Rainey-Sale has certainly taken a step during his second season of college football. Safety Alex McLaughlin continues to play at a high level. 

But nickel Rahshawn Clark has been the most impressive because of where he started. The former Garfield High standout entered the season competing with freshman Jeron Jones for starting snaps despite Clark’s generally strong 2025 season. Jones has been moved outside to cover for injuries, largely because of Clark’s growth this season. 

Clark has 20 tackles through seven games, though he was heavily limited against Minnesota with a calf injury, including one tackle for loss. His three pass breakups lead the team. Clark’s also been impressive in coverage. Despite being targeted 26 times — third most on the team — he’s allowed just 13 catches for 158 yards per PFF. He’s also second among UW players in forced incompletions (4) and has missed just one tackle.

Allen: I’m lukewarm on all of them because no one has really jumped out or been a difference maker. But I’ll go with Jones because he’s been a bit of a revelation for someone who didn’t receive the preseason accolades as UW first-year teammates Greene, Derek Colman-Brusa and Ramzak Fruean.

Fisch raved about Jones this week. He’s got a swagger and plays with an edge that belies his experience. At 5-11 and 180 pounds, Jones is one of the smallest defenders in UW’s secondary, but he’s a thumper with 19 tackles, including 14 solo. He’s also tied with a team-high two INTs.

What’s more likely: Washington getting on a hot streak and nabbing a College Football Playoff berth or falling short of the six-win threshold and not playing in a bowl game?

Allen: Call me crazy, but I’ll go with the former. Do I think UW is going to make the CFP? Heck no. But given these options, I could see the Huskies winning the next five games and advancing to the Big Ten championship game.

And yes, I know UW is currently 15^th in the conference. But everyone in the league is flawed to an extent. Do we really believe in UCLA? Ohio State lost its quarterback. Indiana? OK, the Hoosiers might repeat as Big Ten champions, but I don’t trust USC, Iowa and Northwestern. This is the year of upsets and parity where a three-loss Husky team could win the conference championship.

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Yamashita: One of these things seems virtually impossible to me — making the CFP this season — so I’ll say falling short of a bowl game. 

Winning against Purdue certainly establishes a straightforward path toward bowl eligibility. Beat Michigan State and either Nebraska or scuffling Penn State, and Washington will reach the six-win mark. That’s not even counting the fact that Oregon has endured a poor season, too, and will be the most vulnerable Dan Lanning team that Fisch has ever faced. 

But after watching this UW team give away a win at USC, get obliterated by Iowa and struggle offensively for large stretches against a Minnesota team that gave up 41 points to Purdue, it seems much more likely UW underperforms in two games against Penn State and Nebraska than pulling off an upset against No. 6 Indiana.