For 48 hours, Washington was in a state of crisis when Demond Williams moved to the portal. Fortunately for Jedd Fisch, his quarterback made a U-turn. But that only solidified the starter role. The head coach has now added more depth to the entire QB room with Stanford transfer Elijah Brown.

On February 4, Signing Day, Jedd Fisch, along with his five returnees, including Williams, met the media and revealed that Brown will be a solid competitor behind Williams. That will help both QBs develop in the best possible way.

“We knew him [Elijah Brown] from recruiting. He was a four-year starter at Modern Day. He’s had success in high school,” Jedd Fisch said during the February 4 Press Conference. “And as we were building out the roster in general, we wanted Demond to have somebody else who had gone through some of it. That has gone through the bullets of a game that has dealt with game planning against some of the best defensive coordinators and has someone else for him to talk to outside of the guys that we brought in.

And we thought Elijah was a great fit for that. And we’re excited that he’s joining us and giving us more competition in the room. I think that will elevate Demond’s game.”

Last year, the staff used the same blueprint with Kai Horton, recruiting the redshirt senior transfer from Tulane to serve as a steady, reliable hand behind Williams. Horton appeared in four games with little production, completing just 4 out of 7 passes for 13 yards. Now that Kai Horton has graduated, Elijah Brown has stepped into that role.

The former Stanford QB committed to the Huskies via the portal on January 26 and has three seasons of eligibility remaining. Fisch confirmed Brown’s signing today, stating his correct time of arrival. “He’s not here yet, but he will be here for spring ball,” Fisch said.

The main reason to choose him as a cover for Williams is that Brown has seen game-time action. He brings valuable starting experience from his time at Stanford, appearing in six games and starting the last three after Ben Gulbranson went down with an injury. Compared to Horton, Brown’s production was quite modest (829 passing yards, 4 TDs, and 2 interceptions).

Brown’s best moment came in the Big Game against Cal. Brown picked up his first college win as a starter and led Stanford to a convincing 31–10 victory. He put the game away with a 34-yard touchdown strike to CJ Williams, easily his longest score of the season.

There is no doubt that for the 2026 season, Demond Williams remains the starter for the Huskies, while Brown will sit behind, developing what didn’t go well last year. His potential as a former four-star recruit was evident, but his play was inconsistent. He struggled significantly with pressure, taking 14 sacks across his limited appearances. That in turn resulted in a net rushing total of -96 yards. Once these details are polished, analysts feel that he can be the potential heir to Williams once he declares for the draft next season.

Demond Williams’ moment of truth

Poaching has become a common practice in college football over the past couple of months. We saw Lane Kiffin lighting the fire and some coaches adding fuel to it. Demond Williams’ situation mirrors this. Even during today’s press conference, Williams was asked about this situation, and he was quite honest about it, along with citing the real reason.

“Everybody gets bad advice at times,” he said, seated at a front table in a team meeting room. “We’re all human, we all make mistakes. At the end of the day, I’m super blessed to be here with all my brothers and my coaches.”

This marks Williams’ first media interaction since he entered the transfer portal, sparking the entire chaos. The Huskies QB tried to enter the transfer portal just four days after he signed an important revenue-sharing contract of $4 million to $4.5 million. After this move, Washington and the Big Ten took legal action against him, obviously for breach of contract.

However, the drama didn’t last long. After just two days, Williams flipped his decision and returned to the Huskies. Now, after this drama, when you appear in front of the media, the questions are obvious. And that’s why Williams was also asked if Lane Kiffin tried to lure him to LSU. The response was a simple “No Comments.”