Demond Williams took the college football world by storm on Tuesday night. In a shocking turn of events, Williams decided to enter the transfer portal just days after reaching an agreement to return to Washington for his junior season in 2026. He has a do-not-contact tag, which means he cannot be approached.
Sam Leavitt still undecided and set to visit another SEC school following visit with LSU
Lane Kiffin and LSU appear to be interested in Williams, and sources have told CBS Sports' Matt Zentiz and Chris Hummer that the Tigers are a team to watch in the pursuit of Williams. Furthermore, early rumors are swirling that LSU could offer Williams $6 million to come to Baton Rouge. That would be unprecedented money in college football, and would give him a higher salary than over a dozen NFL starters from this season.
Demond Williams entering the transfer portal takes the college football world by storm
The whole situation surrounding Williams is raising eyebrows across the college football universe. The era of NIL and the transfer portal have turned the sport on its head, and this story shows just how different things are now than they were just a couple of years ago.
But even for today's environment this story is pretty astonishing. Former Missouri quarterback and 14-year NFL veteran and current ESPN college football analyst Chase Daniel has chimed in on the matter, stating that "college football is broken."
Daniel lays out the process of Williams re-signing with Washington for $4 million, only to then enter the portal a few days later with rumors of a $6 million package from LSU.
So one of the better QB’s in the portal Demond Williams committed back to Washington a few days ago & signed papers for $4M/Year…then tonight announces he’s entering the portal.
— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) January 7, 2026
LSU is considered the landing spot for $6M/Yr…and this is all going on while stud QB Sam Leavitt is… https://t.co/toNyqEh0lJ
Washington set to potentially take legal action to enforce Williams' contract
Needless to say, Washington is not pleased with Williams' decision. According to Pete Thamel, Washington officials are prepared to pursue all possible legal avenues to enforce Williams' signed contract to return to the Huskies. It's already a wild situation, and has the potential to reach new heights over the next few weeks.
Adding to the drama is the fact that Sam Leavitt was visiting LSU when the Williams news broke. Leavitt has been Lane Kiffin's top target since missing out on Brendan Sorsby, but Leavitt remains undecided after a multi-day visit to Baton Rouge. He is now set to visit Tennessee, which is a situation worth monitoring. It's also worth noting that LSU's interest in Williams could force Leavitt to make his 2026 decision sooner rather than later.
Like it or not, this is the new era of college football. But it's hard to see these circumstances being sustainable. It will be interesting to see what comes of Washington's potential lawsuit and where Williams ends up. Buckle up.