The Chaos of Demond Williams’ Decision

Editorial:

The University of Washington is currently refusing to let quarterback Demond Williams enter his name into the college football transfer portal. Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger reported that the agreement, signed by Williams in early January, prohibits the player from entering the transfer portal. It also prohibits the player’s NIL rights from being used by another school. As such, the university is enforcing the contract by not entering his name in the transfer portal. 

Without his name being officially in the transfer database, Williams is legally not permitted to hold conversations with other programs. Given the no-contact tag on his declaration to enter the transfer portal, conversations with other programs are more than likely being had. The mess of a situation in Seattle will set a precedent for the future of college football.

The Chaos of Demond Williams’ Decision

As for Williams, he’s going where the money is. If reports are accurate, the school pursuing Williams is prepared to offer significantly more than the estimated $4 million, one-year, revenue-share contract that Williams signed at Washington just days ago. That kind of money was going to make him among the highest-earning athletes in the sport. In this day and age, this is what college athletes do. It’s difficult to blame the former Husky quarterback for following potential life-changing money. In his statement on social media, Williams said, “I have to do what is best for me and my future.” That sentence provides a lot of insight into the inner workings of his decision. There’s a lot of money at play.

Washington To Pursue Legal Action

Washington’s choice to pursue legal action is the right move for the general state of the sport. Doing so will set the precedent that players should not be able to sign contracts and then leave when offered more money elsewhere. Makes sense. Guardrails, like enforceable contracts, will help prevent this kind of issue from happening in the future at other programs. 

But the pursuit of legal action by the University is not one to force Williams to return to Washington and play out the 2026 season, as he agreed to do a few days ago. Rather, it is to collect the damages from the player breaching the contract and enforce the terms of the agreement. Williams is not an employee of the University of Washington. He did not sign a “pay to play” contract. That’s not what these contracts are. And that’s the part of the situation that makes things difficult. Because he is not employed by the team, like contracts in the NFL, the contract doesn’t necessarily bind him to playing for the University. 

Williams has, in all likelihood, played his final snap in purple and gold as a Husky. If Washington chooses to continue to keep his name out of the transfer portal (as they’re legally allowed to do, per reports), Williams may opt to simply unenroll from school at Washington, enroll at his next school, and walk-on. Paying for his education won’t be an issue. 

The Value of Legal Measures

This kind of situation doesn’t happen if tampering doesn’t occur and if contracts are followed. Stating the obvious, but somewhere along the way after Williams inked his new deal to stay at Washington, there were discussions between Williams’ circle and another program that went on outside the limits of the contract. That’s likely how the next school had knowledge of what to offer. And it led to Williams making the decision he did.

A University pursuing legal avenues against a player is unprecedented. If a player doesn’t want to be somewhere, it’s best to just let them go. But taking legal measures to enforce the contract in this scenario is necessary. Otherwise, what’s to stop unlimited tampering between players and universities around the nation in future cases – regardless of signed contracts?