Less than 48 hours after leading an improbable comeback against Nebraska, Demond Williams Jr. appears to have earned his starting job back. The second-year starter suffered a rib injury in Week Six against Iowa, paving the way for backup Elijah Brown, who led the Huskies to a 38-26 win the following week against Purdue.
Now, all signs point towards Williams returning to the starting role.
Despite being cleared for play in each of the past two games, Williams was forced to watch from the sidelines, as the Stanford transfer orchestrated the offense in as efficient a manner as the Huskies have shown all season. That was, until the Huskies trailed 7-3 heading into the fourth quarter in Lincoln. Struggling to move the ball, Jedd Fisch turned to his
longtime starter, who conducted a 12-play, 81-yard touchdown drive that helped pull off the Halloween night shocker.
With Brown having the hot hand since the second half against Iowa, giving him the starting nod against Nebraska was the right choice. He had shown great poise, was getting the ball out efficiently, and Washington was scoring points. However, with Williams playing hero and now getting healthier by the day, Fisch gave an update on the quarterback situation entering the upcoming matchup against Penn State.
"If Demond is feeling good, I don't see why he won't play and start," Jedd Fisch said when asked about the quarterback situation moving forward
— Roman Tomashoff (@rtomashoff34) November 2, 2026
"If Demond is feeling good, I don't see why he wouldn't play and start," Fisch said on Monday. "But we haven't been on the field yet, so he took some hits in that game. So we just have to make sure that he's good to go, and that he feels right. And if he feels right, then, hopefully, we can play off of the momentum of the fourth quarter in the same way we played off the momentum of the third and fourth quarters against Iowa into the Purdue game with Elijah."
Fisch also noted that although he expects Williams to play if healthy, he will not announce an official starter until later in the week to avoid giving Penn State any sort of competitive advantage. In less than five total minutes of game time, the speedy signal caller showed what he's capable of when in-rhythm. The Arizona native was 7-for-13 for 99 yards passing and a touchdown, while also leading the rushing attack with four carries for 28 yards.
As the Huskies return home following back-to-back road wins, they are set to face another stout defense in the Nitanny Lions. With Williams seemingly back at the helm after a month-long hiatus from the starting spot, he will look to show that last week's heroics weren't a one-hit wonder.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: All Signs Point to Demond Williams Jr. Starting Against Penn State
