Demond Williams Jr. is the reason the Washington Huskies are bowl-eligible in year one under Jedd Fisch.
The freshman quarterback was 7-for-8 passing for 67 yards and a touchdown and ran six times (including sacks) for 31 yards in place of Will Rogers, who was benched after two consecutive interceptions against UCLA on Friday night.
On Monday, the Big Ten recognized Williams for his efforts, naming him the conference’s Freshman of the Week for his performance. Williams is the second Husky to win the honor, as linebacker Khmori House was Big Ten Freshman of the Week after racking up three tackles and an interception against Northwestern in September.
Williams’ performance has also forced the Huskies to re-evaluate the depth chart under center heading into a heated rivalry game with Oregon, as Fisch told the media after the game Friday that the staff would use the bye week to determine whether Rogers or Williams will start in Autzen Stadium. Rogers has taken the Huskies this far and has largely played well, but he struggled to see the field on Friday and has been a consummate leader even when taken out.
Williams gives the offense clear upside thanks to his rushing ability, but throwing a true freshman in for his first start against a sold-out rival crowd and the no. 1 team in the country may be too big of an ask.
Regardless, it’s clear that Fisch was on to something when he called Williams the future face of Husky football. Monday’s honors should be the first of many accolades that the freshman accrues while on Montlake.