Demond Williams Jr.

The Player

Williams arrived at Washington as a four-star recruit from Arizona and flashed immediately as a true freshman in 2024, appearing in all 13 games and making two starts while completing 78.1 percent of his passes for 944 yards, eight touchdowns, and one interception. He took over full-time in 2025, starting all 13 games and completing 69.5 percent for 3,065 yards, 25 touchdowns, and eight interceptions while adding 611 rushing yards and six scores. He enters 2026 with 15 career starts.

Williams is an undersized dual-threat quarterback who lacks ideal height and bulk but compensates with elite mobility, escape ability, and a strong arm. He is also more advanced as a processor and decision-maker than he gets credit for. Williams plays aggressively, but he has learned to rein in some of the recklessness and protect the football, throwing 33 touchdowns against just nine interceptions through 15 starts. He still needs to improve his pocket discipline, but the growth is evident.

He has a quick trigger with plenty of juice for his size. The ball jumps off his hand, particularly on intermediate throws, and he can drive the deep out from one hash to the opposite sideline. Williams also generates enough energy to attack vertically, so arm talent is not a concern.

His accuracy and ball placement are better than advertised, especially in the short-to-intermediate game. Williams shows legitimate NFL-style anticipation, leading receivers, throwing to spots, and releasing the ball before windows fully develop. There is some correctable mechanical inconsistency when he overstrides and leans left, and his deep-ball timing can be late, but his overall placement is good and trending upward.

Mobility is his defining trait. Williams has slot-receiver-type suddenness and change of direction, along with outstanding escape ability, vision, and open-field speed. He is dynamic both as a scrambler and on designed runs. He’s more explosive as a runner than Russell Wilson was coming out of Wisconsin, although he obviously lacks Wilson’s thickness. Williams belongs near the top of this quarterback class as a pure running threat.

The Projection

The Russell Wilson comparison is worth keeping in mind, with an important distinction. Williams is a more explosive runner than Wilson was coming out of Wisconsin, but he is not yet as refined or consistent as Wilson was as a pocket passer. That’s why 2026 is so important. Another full season could push Williams close to 30 starts and give him the opportunity to make a Wilson-at-Wisconsin-type jump as a passer.

I’m not ready to call Williams a first-round quarterback or a definitive NFL starter, but I came away considerably more encouraged after studying the tape. He’s further along with anticipation, intermediate accuracy, and decision-making than his size and reputation as a dynamic runner might suggest. Right now, I have a hard time seeing this talent getting out of Day 2, and there’s legitimate first-round upside if the passing development continues in 2026.