QB Demond Williams’ portal saga has again pulled back the curtains on NIL’s “pay-for-play” allegations, shedding light on the grey area under which NIL rules fall. The 19-year-old signal-caller has revoked his $4 million NIL deal with the Washington Huskies, hopping back into the portal.

While the Huskies plan to legally compel Williams to honor his deal, another familiar name has resurfaced on the radar—Cordell Landers. According to reports, the former Florida analyst was involved in Demond Williams’ decision to go against his agency.

Who is Cordell Landers?

Cordell Landers’s professional bio describes him as a recruiting coordinator and running backs coach working across the high school and college football circuits. Growing up in Long Beach, California, Cordell played running back for his high school, earning second-team all-conference honors in the Moore League. From there, he attended LA Valley College before moving to Illinois State University.

Presently, he lives in Glendora, California, with his wife, Selena. The couple has two daughters—Sydney and Scarlett.

Cordell Landers’ “The Gorilla Recruiter’s” professional career

Cordell Landers began his professional career as a running back coach, joining his former coach (LA Valley College), Ron Ponciano, at Citrus College, Glendale. Over there, he helped RB Ricky Johnson and RB Andre Holmes to the All-Conference Backs. After a productive stint at Citrus College, he moved to Pasadena City College in a new role. As the recruiting coordinator, he helped recruit 11 student-athletes to D1 programs, including Michigan State’s Miguel Muchado & Old Dominion’s Manny Matiarena, among others.

That lone season stint established him as a known recruiter in the region, which helped him secure multiple opportunities. After parting ways with the Lancers, he headed to L.A. Pierce College, where he worked as a recruiting coordinator. Soon enough, a head coach change prompted him to return to LA Valley College. This time, he returned as both the Recruiting Coordinator and Special Teams Coordinator, making a huge impact.

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At one point in his career, he worked at the Florida Gators as the assistant director of player personnel under Dan Mullen. His tenure can be pinpointed from 2018 to 2021, as that was the time Mullen was present in Gainesville. Over his tenure, Landers sent 272 players to the D1 level in four years, earning him the nickname “The Gorilla Recruiter.”

Taking pride in his achievements, Landers calls himself a ‘Dawg.’ “The thing you will love about me is, I recruit the best to beat the best; Over #100 plus guys signed D1 in the past four years.”

However, he has been involved in some college football recruiting decisions that remain controversial to this day.

Cordell Landers and the Nico Iamaleava chapter

Before the Williams’ saga, we had Nico Iamaleava’s strange exit from Tennessee. According to reports, Nico and Tennessee were in active negotiations for a $4 million NIL deal. However, Nico’s camp denied that any negotiations of such a kind were taking place.

Among the many advisors who worked alongside Nico’s father in the backend was Cordell Landers. Josh Heupel called Nico’s bluff, and the quarterback had to take his services to UCLA.

Cordell Landers’s role in Demond Williams’ transfer portal decision

Demond Williams has established himself as one of the emerging talents in college football. At Washington, he led the Huskies to a 9-4 record, earning the Big Ten All-Academic team honor and others. He was set to return for the 2026 season after signing a $4 million NIL deal. However, four days after he penned the deal, he backed out and entered the portal. This move has sparked an outcry regarding the NIL laws in college football.

Williams negotiated the deal through a traditional agency before rescinding his commitment. ESPN reported that even his own agency was ‘blindsided’ by his latest portal move. According to reports, Landers has been involved with Demond Williams regarding his decision to enter the transfer portal. He has reportedly contacted schools about Williams. However, he has denied any involvement so far.