UW Huskies star Demond Williams Jr. made Illinois cornerback Miles Scott look foolish.
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Facing a third-and-18 late in the third quarter, Williams found open space, darted out of the pocket and didn’t shy away when Scott tried to make a tackle just past the first-down marker. The diminutive Williams lowered his shoulder, ran over Scott and spun his way for a few more yards while picking up a critical first down.
Scale of 1-10: How great was this Demond Williams Jr. 3rd & 18 pickup? 😲 pic.twitter.com/3UrNUeVpfO
— Washington on BTN (@WashingtonOnBTN) October 26, 2025
Williams went on to finish the drive with a 6-yard TD strike to give the Huskies a three-score lead on their way to a convincing 42-25 win over the 23rd-ranked team in the country on Saturday. The dual-threat QB accounted for 344 total yards and four TDs on the day.
The scramble Williams delivered to keep the drive going late in the third quarter was just another of the many highlight-reel moments he has produced this year.
The true sophomore is making a name for himself in his first season as the full-time starter for the 6-2 Huskies. Williams has completed an efficient 73.1% of his passes while averaging 9.5 yards per attempt. In total, he’s racked up 2,117 yards and 14 TDs to just four interceptions through the air, and another 429 yards and four scores on the ground.
Williams is first in the Big Ten and second among power conference quarterbacks with 2,546 total yards this year. He’s also fourth in the country in completion percentage and eighth in yards per attempt.
Williams still has another season until he becomes draft eligible in 2027. When that does happen, will he be able to continue his success at the NFL level?
Former UW quarterback Brock Huard shared his thoughts about Williams’ NFL potential during his Blue 88 segment on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk on Monday.
“It’ll be interesting,” Huard said. “… He’s littler than (2023 No. 1 overall pick) Bryce Young. He’s littler than (former Seahawks star QB) Russell Wilson. When you see him in person, it’s almost shocking how little (he is). He looks like kind of what you’ve been accustomed to seeing a lot of little slot receivers look like – and he is slot receiver quick and fast.”
Williams, who is listed at 5 foot 11 and 190 pounds, has often drawn comparisons to Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray due to their similar small stature and blazing speed. However, what Williams is able to do with his arm reminds Huard more of Wilson.
“He can absolutely dart and run, but he’s more than that because he’s got a very live arm,” Huard said. “You watch him throw and, again, a little bit like Russell. When Russell threw, you did not see a 5-10 quarterback. You saw like a 6-3 (quarterback) just as far as velo goes and the ball out of his hand.”
According to Huard, the biggest test for Williams when he eventually makes the jump to the next level will be how his size translates in an NFL offense.
“Can he do all that you’ve got to do to play the position at the next level and really play between the tackles? That’s going to be the great challenge for him just vision-wise and size-wise,” Huard said. “Can you play, first and foremost, between the tackles and then do all of this crazy amazing stuff and extend-the-play stuff that he is capable of doing? So there’s some work there. There’s a learning curve to climb between the tackles.”
Listen to Brock and Salk weekdays form 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
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