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By Nelson Espinal
Contributing Sports Reporter
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Less than 48 hours after announcing his intentions to leave Washington and enter the transfer portal, quarterback Demond Williams Jr. is favoring a return to the school as he weighs his options.
Williams was one of the better returning quarterbacks in the nation, and he had reportedly inked a deal to stay with the Huskies amid multiple potential suitors.
More news: Baylor Lands Former Florida QB DJ Lagway via Transfer Portal
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However, he decided to leave and enter the transfer portal, a decision that rocked the college football landscape amid the opening of the transfer portal and deals flying all over the place.
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According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, however, is leaning towards a return to the school.
“I’ve been told by sources within the last 15 minutes that Washington quarterback Demond Williams is leaning toward returning to the Huskies,” Thamel said on the ESPN broadcast. “He, obviously, announced 48 hours ago he intended to enter the NCAA transfer portal. LSU was his likely destination. Today has been a busy day for Demond Williams. His agent fired him, he picked up a lawyer, prominent attorney Darren Heitner, who works a lot of these eligibility cases.
“I’ve been told that Demond Williams spent most of today discussing his options. If he was to leave and transfer, he was going to face legal action from Washington. So, sources there have made it clear to me they were going to enforce the $4.5 million contract he had just signed four days before he announced he was going to go into the portal. So, again, it’s not done but the lean is to go back. I’ve been told a decision is imminent but not final.”
More news: Baylor Lands Former Florida QB DJ Lagway via Transfer Portal
Additional reporting from Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports indicates that Washington would be open to welcoming him back.
"Despite the developments of the last couple of days, Washington would still welcome Demond Williams back to the team and is still hoping for him to remain with the program," Zenitz wrote on X.
Demond Williams Jr. is staying
The quarterback announced he will remain with Washington via a social media post, marking a complete turnaround after his announcement less than two days ago.
How does this impact LSU?
LSU was the first team to be linked to Williams, and the fit makes all the sense in the world. The Tigers are desperate for a quarterback, and Williams fits new head coach Lane Kiffin's system perfectly.
Also, they have the money to pay Williams top dollar, a luxury that Washington likely cannot afford. However, now that Williams is returning, Kiffin will need to continue his quarterback search, making the pursuit of Sam Leavitt all the more interesting.
Leavitt is on a visit with Tennessee, though with Williams off the table, he should be getting another call from Kiffin soon.
More news: Alabama Loses Starting QB Ty Simpson to NFL Draft After CFP Exit
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