Jedd Fisch is just as excited as all Washington Huskies fans about freshman quarterback Demond Williams Jr.
Just don’t expect that to translate into a change in the starting lineup this season.
After an up-and-down performance from senior quarterback Will Rogers against Indiana that included Williams’ first career rushing touchdown, the Huskies dropped to 4-4 on the season. Some fans have clamored to see more of the freshman, eager to usher in the next era of Washington football, but Fisch preached patience when speaking with the media on Monday.
“Demond’s improvement has been really good for the last eight weeks. Each week, he’s gotten better, he’s gotten more comfortable when he goes in the game. Demond’s gonna be ready to take this team over at some point in time. I think that right now, Will continues to give us the best chance. He’s completed 72 percent of his passes. I certainly don’t blame him for the first interception [against Indiana], that’s about as fluke as a fluke can get. He’s thrown four picks all year; maybe you subtract one. We’ve turned it over a couple times with snaps. We’ve gotta make plays around Will. We gotta make bigger plays in the passing game, gotta hit the big ones. We gotta finish some balls down the field…Right now, Will’s done a really nice job. Demond’s gonna be special. Demond will be the face of Washington football moving forward next year. But he’s gonna continue to get reps throughout this season, like he has.”
Williams has thrown 34 passes this season in eight games of action, the majority of which came against Iowa two weeks ago. He has completed 76.5 percent of those throws for 242 yards and 2 touchdowns while rushing for 148 yards and a touchdown on 25 attempts.
Fisch has spoken at length this season about the value Rogers has provided as a veteran hand under center for the Huskies, even as the senior has adjusted to a more pro-style scheme than what he grew accustomed to at Mississippi State. Rogers has also been a valuable mentor for Williams: Fisch told the media earlier in the year that the two are rarely seen without each other in the team facility.
The coaching staff knows Williams is the future, and it has seen all the same flashes the fans have throughout the course of this season. But Rogers is a captain and has largely played well outside of this two-game slump, which coincided with Washington’s first two 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time kickoffs of the year and an injury to starting left tackle Maximus McCree.
Williams’ time will come, and early returns make for rosy projections about his name landing amongst Michael Penix Jr., Warren Moon, and the Huards as one of Washington’s very best to ever see the field.
Think of it this way. If Williams already looks this good, with one session of abbreviated spring practice and a limited package of plays in the season, imagine his ceiling with a full offseason of starting reps. The sky is the limit, and Washington will give him that runway.