By Sam Jane, Chris Vannini, Bruce Feldman and Ralph D. Russo

Just days after Demond Williams Jr. signed a contract with Washington to return to Seattle for his junior season, the quarterback reversed course and announced Tuesday night he would enter the transfer portal.

The shocking decision sends ripples through the Washington program and the college football transfer portal. Williams had signed a contract agreeing to return to the Huskies, a Washington source close to the negotiations told The Athletic on Tuesday night. Yet, Williams said on Instagram that transferring was “best for me and my future.”

Washington has no intention of releasing Williams from the contract he signed on Jan. 2, a program source told The Athletic. The dispute could lead to a messy debate over the circumstances surrounding Williams’ status.

Williams, however, had not filed any paperwork with Washington compliance officers to have his name entered into the portal before making his announcement on social media.

As of now, nothing has been submitted.

Washington is prepared to pursue legal action to enforce the terms of the contract, according to a person briefed on the situation.

There have been several recent examples of schools taking issue with player transfers. After cornerback Xavier Lucas transferred from Wisconsin to Miami, Wisconsin said Lucas had entered into a “binding two-year NIL agreement” that included “substantial financial compensation” and allegedly attempted to prevent him from transferring. Georgia’s athletic department is also seeking $390,000 from former defensive end Damon Wilson II, claiming his transfer to Missouri terminated his name, image and likeness agreement with the Bulldogs’ collective.

Williams and Washington head coach Jedd Fisch share the same agent at Wasserman football.

Williams followed Fisch to Seattle two years ago after committing to Arizona out of high school. However, before signing with Fisch at Arizona, Williams initially committed to Ole Miss and Lane Kiffin in late 2022. He de-committed the following summer. Williams started the 2025 season, with Fisch not holding back the hype for his quarterback entering the season.

“I would probably say, at this age, not even 19, he’s the best player I’ve ever been around,” Fisch said on the Until Saturday podcast last spring. “… My goal from when I started recruiting him in high school, and I told him this, we’re going to partner up and find a way to be in New York City when it’s time for the Heisman.”

Williams threw for 4,009 yards and 33 touchdowns against nine interceptions while adding 893 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns in 26 career games at Washington. In his first season as the starter, he passed for 3,065 yards and 25 touchdowns, earning All–Big Ten honorable mention honors.

After a four-touchdown performance in Washington’s blowout win over Boise State in the Bucked Up LA Bowl, Williams seemed poised to be one of the top quarterbacks in the Big Ten this year.

“He does have incredible potential,” Fisch said. “He’s not loud, but I would say he is vocal. He speaks softly and carries a big stick. He’s not going to yell or scream and do all those things that you necessarily would need him to do, but he leads by example. He works his tail off. He never misses anything. He’s constantly involved with the team. He knows when to take the right reps. He knows when to jump in, jump out. So all that being equal, I think his leadership skills are certainly good enough.”

Now Williams says he is moving on. Williams is entering the portal with a do-not-contact tag, according to ESPN, meaning Williams likely already has a landing spot in mind. Notable schools that are currently or could be in the quarterback market include LSU, Miami and potentially Oregon. He instantly becomes one of the top players available in the transfer market.

Washington, which played in the 2023 national championship game under Kalen DeBoer, is 15-11 under Fisch in the last two years, including 9-4 this past season. This would be a major loss for the program.