How Washington QB Demond Williams Can Take Meaningful Snaps In Year One (2024)

While the excitement surrounding Washington’s Big Ten arrival grows, all eyes in Seattle are on the quarterback competition, pitting Mississippi State transfer Will Rogers against true freshman Demond Williams.

Only one quarterback in the history of the SEC has logged more passing yards than Rogers, while Williams boasts explosiveness as a dual threat. The widespread opinion is that Rogers will be QB1 when the Huskies open the season.

If Rogers lives up to expectations and captures the starting job, time will tell whether or not Williams sees the field as a freshman. While some coaches enjoy packaging a backup mobile quarterback in ways to utilize their skillset, Fisch explained to Dave Softy Mahler and Dick Fain on KJR 93.3 FM that he typically sticks with one quarterback.

That doesn’t suggest he won’t make a change if needed, as displayed last season when Arizona’s Noah Fifita took the keys to the offense from Jayden de Laura.

It wouldn’t be a shock to see Williams take the field in blowout victories, considering it’s a perfect opportunity for a young player to log their first in-game reps. Entering a close game is a different story, though. While it seems unlikely on the surface, there may just be a path for Williams to log snaps over a healthy Rogers.

For it to happen, I believe these three things must occur in order:

1. Huskies open with consecutive blowout victories, Williams excels in garbage time

Regardless of the opponent, Washington must blow a team or two out so Williams can see the field and showcase his dual-threat ability. Weber State and Eastern Michigan are the only two non-Power Five foes on the schedule, so attention immediately shifts to them. While coaches will preach to players not to overlook the two foes, they hope the Huskies can hammer both and escape the game without injuries or cause for concern.

It’s safe to assume Williams would participate in both games (if blowouts), given that players are awarded four games without burning a redshirt. For Williams to see the field down the road, he must excel when given opportunities. It would show coaches he’ll be ready if his name is called later in the year. You can only have a quarterback controversy with an intriguing candidate on the bench.

2. Offense stalls in Big Ten play, o-line struggles to protect Rogers

To say Washington’s schedule post-Apple Cup is challenging would be selling it short.

vs. Northwestern

at Rutgers

vs. Michigan

at Iowa

at Indiana

vs. USC

at Penn State

vs. UCLA

at Oregon

Pouring on points will be challenging in 2024, especially if USC’s defense improves and UCLA’s can be anywhere near it was last season. If not, the obstacle remains steep given Michigan, Iowa, Penn State and Oregon are unlikely to struggle defensively. Each could be a significant challenge for UW’s passing attack given the daunting defensive lines and Rogers’ struggles while under pressure during his time at Mississippi State.

Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

2020: Rogers finished with 1,969 passing yards on 240-of-348 attempts (69%) with 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

While under pressure: 207 yards on 25-of-64 attempts (39%) with one touchdown and six interceptions

2021: 4,687 passing yards on 500-of-682 attempts (73%) with 39 touchdowns and one interception.

While under pressure: 341 yards on 36-of-82 attempts (43.9%) with four touchdowns and three interceptions

2022: 3,955 yards on 412-of-614 attempts (67%) with 35 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

While under pressure: 371 yards on 49-of-103 attempts with one touchdown and three interceptions

2023 (eight games): 1,624 yards on 143-of-238 attempts (60%) with 12 touchdowns and four interceptions.

While under pressure: 302 yards on 23-of-49 attempts (46%) with two touchdowns and two interceptions

Struggling against pressure isn’t a rarity for a college quarterback—most do. But it’s much less of an Achilles Heel when you can make pass rushers miss at point-blank range and either run for a gain or connect with a receiver. Rogers doesn’t have that trait. Williams obviously does, making him an appealing counter to a crumbling pocket.

3. Offense continues to stall, has slow start in a must-win game

Indiana immediately jumps out when scanning the schedule for a Saturday in which Williams could receive meaningful snaps in a close game. For all we know, that match-up could be critical to bowl eligibility.

What happens if Washington’s offense stalls against Michigan and Iowa because their respective defenses successfully pressured Rogers and shut down the passing game? What happens if the Huskies are off to a slow start against the Hoosiers, confidence hindered and frustration mounting?

What do you do when you need a spark? Often, a coach turns to a dual-threat quarterback on the bench to give the offense a change of pace. If this scenario were to happen, Williams could get a series or two to show he’s capable of elevating the offense.

That said, would Washington risk injury to Williams if the offensive line struggles to protect Rogers? There’s no pun intended when pointing out that big bodies are frequent on defensive lines throughout UW’s new conference. Williams stands 5-foot-11 and weighs 185 pounds, so avoiding unnecessary hits will be paramount if he sees action.

Reminder: Fisch turned to Fifita after de Laura’s injury allowed him to observe which quarterback fit the offense better.

Finals thoughts:

It’s not hard to envision a scenario in which Rogers performs well and retains QB1 honors throughout the season. It goes without saying that if that happens, he’ll have nothing to worry about.

Furthermore, suppose the Huskies have widespread struggles and aren’t very good; Rogers probably keeps the keys to the offense— why compromise Williams’ health and redshirt status if the team isn’t good enough for him to impact winning?

But if Washington plays quality football, Rogers struggles against pressure and the other steps mentioned above become reality, you can bet Williams will take the field. What happens from there is up to him. Again, keep an eye on the clash with Indiana and perhaps UCLA toward the end of the season.