Heading into the 2026 college football season, Jedd Fisch and the Washington Huskies are looking for quarterback Demond Williams Jr. to continue growing as a passer ahead of his second full season as the starter.
After completing 69.5 percent of his passes for 3,065 yards and 25 touchdowns in 2025, with wide receiver Denzel Boston graduating and heading off to the NFL, Fisch's coaching staff has been emphasizing his ability to stand in and navigate the pocket during practice.
"I think there's that fine line of knowing in practice you're not going to get hit," Fisch said on Thursday. "So you can kind of encourage them to stay in there a little bit longer, look at the read, look at the progression, see what's going to happen."
For Williams, who added
611 yards and 6 touchdowns on the ground, he's already proven what kind of weapon he can be with his legs in the Big Ten.
"And then on game day, you always know you have your feet as a check down," Fisch continued. "But he's such a talented passer that it's just that fine line between hanging in the pocket and going through your second or third read or using your feet and making sure that running lanes, he's protected."
As the Huskies have emphasized Williams continuing to learn to use the middle of the field, that has led to him not scrambling as much during practices. The result? A pair of strikes in recent days to tight end Baron Naone for a 34-yard pickup in the mock game, and a 20-yard connection with wide receiver Christian Moss, as the junior continues to show off his growth as a quarterback.
"I definitely feel like I've grown a lot through my progressions and through the offense," Williams said.
"Being my third year in the offense, and I think that's kind of underrated as far as the college football landscape. I think you can tell during the practices and throughout the time that I've been here the progression that I've had and understanding where my checkdowns are, understanding where everybody's at on a given play, so that if I'm ever in trouble on a given play I don't have to resort to using my feet or anything like that, also being able to get the ball out of my hands in a timely manner."
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Demond Williams Jr. discusses his growth as a passer in fall camp
