Latest news with #Fisch
NBC Sports
03-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Quarterback Demond Williams Jr. has evolved as a leader heading into second season at Washington
Nicole Auerbach runs through her Big Ten spring trip takeaways, including the high expectations for Indiana, Illinois' potential, how QB Bryce Underwood will perform at Michigan and more. SEATTLE (AP) — Barring injury, there's no debating who Washington's next quarterback will be — and it's one coach Jedd Fisch has thought highly of for a long time. Sophomore Demond Williams Jr., who appeared in 13 games for the Huskies as a freshman and completed over 78% of his passes, initially enrolled at Arizona when Fisch was still running the show in Tucson. As Washington wraps up spring practice with its annual scrimmage on Friday night, it has become clear to Fisch that Williams isn't just the undisputed play-caller. 'He's certainly evolved as a leader,' Fisch said. 'You can certainly feel and see him out there. The fact that it's his team now, he's not sitting back. He can understand that it's truly, truly up to him if the offense is struggling to get the offense going. Truly up to him if the offense is having success to keep the success going.' Williams spent most of last season as the backup to Mississippi State transfer Will Rogers, but flashed his potential in the Sun Bowl against Louisville by completing 26 of 32 passes for 374 yards and four touchdowns. This spring, the quarterback continued to exhibit his deft passing touch, especially on short, rhythm routes. Despite a shorter stature, the 5-foot-11, 190-pound Williams could very well be the kind of quarterback Fisch wants to run the Huskies' offense. 'We got 14 weeks (until the regular season starts) and we got to get really good together,' Fisch said. 'I'm going to commit to seeing how good we can be as a quarterback-play-caller tandem. And then on the same token, I know he's going to commit to see how good of a player he can be, so I'm excited about it.' Tougher in the trenches This time last year, Fisch had his hands full in terms of simply fielding a full roster for the spring game in his first year as Washington's coach. At no position was that felt more than offensive line, because the Huskies had just seven offensive linemen available for the spring game last May. On Wednesday, Fisch said he anticipated 17 offensive linemen would be able to participate. 'The difference is — I mean it's even hard to describe because No. 1, they look better,' Fisch said. 'Their size is better. They're moving better. They're playing at a really high level as a group.' Fisch highlighted the addition of Carver Willis, a sixth-year offensive tackle who spent the last five seasons at Kansas State. Willis was an honorable mention All-Big 12 player in 2024. 'Big get for us on the offensive line,' Fisch said. 'He's certainly shown to be everything that we thought he was going to be.' Rising Rahshawn Local product Rahshawn Clark, who went to Garfield High School, has stood out to Fisch ahead of his redshirt freshman season. Fisch envisions Clark, who is listed as a safety, playing a good amount of nickelback while Tacario Davis and Ephesians Prysock are the projected starting cornerbacks. 'I'm proud of the way he's playing,' Fisch said, 'and I think he's going to be a really, really good player for us.' Last year, the Huskies' defense was 28th in the nation in total yards against per game (328.4). New coordinators Fisch will be joined by a pair of new coordinators this fall. Jimmie Dougherty, who was the passing game coordinator and QB coach at Washington last year, is now the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Former Purdue coach Ryan Walters, who went 5-19 across two seasons leading the Boilermakers, is the new defensive coordinator. Dougherty is taking over for Brennan Carroll, while Walters is assuming the position previously held by Stephen Belichick. Both Carroll and Belichick are following their fathers to their next coaching opportunities.
Fox Sports
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Quarterback Demond Williams Jr. pacing Washington as spring practices wrap up
Associated Press SEATTLE (AP) — Barring injury, there's no debating who Washington's next quarterback will be — and it's one coach Jedd Fisch has thought highly of for a long time. Sophomore Demond Williams Jr., who appeared in 13 games for the Huskies as a freshman and completed over 78% of his passes, initially enrolled at Arizona when Fisch was still running the show in Tucson. As Washington wraps up spring practice with its annual scrimmage on Friday night, it has become clear to Fisch that Williams isn't just the undisputed playcaller. 'He's certainly evolved as a leader,' Fisch said. 'You can certainly feel and see him out there. The fact that it's his team now, he's not sitting back. He can understand that it's truly, truly up to him if the offense is struggling to get the offense going. Truly up to him if the offense is having success to keep the success going.' Williams spent most of last season as the backup to Mississippi State transfer Will Rogers, but flashed his potential in the Sun Bowl against Louisville by completing 26 of 32 passes for 374 yards and four touchdowns. This spring, the quarterback listed at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds has continued to flash his deft passing touch, especially on short, rhythm routes. Despite a shorter stature, Williams could very well be the kind of quarterback Fisch wants to run the Huskies' offense. 'We got 14 weeks (until the regular season starts) and we got to get really good together,' Fisch said. 'I'm going to commit to seeing how good we can be as a quarterback-playcaller tandem. And then on the same token, I know he's going to commit to see how good of a player he can be, so I'm excited about it.' Tougher in trenches This time last year, Fisch had his hands full in terms of simply fielding a full roster for the spring game in his first year as Washington's coach. At no position was that felt more than offensive line, because the Huskies had just seven offensive linemen available for the spring game last May. On Wednesday, Fisch said he anticipated 17 offensive linemen would be able to participate. 'The difference is — I mean it's even hard to describe because No. 1 they look better,' Fisch said. 'Their size is better. They're moving better. They're playing at a really high level as a group.' Fisch highlighted the addition of Carver Willis, a sixth-year offensive tackle who spent the last five seasons at Kansas State. Willis was an honorable mention All-Big 12 player in 2024. 'Big get for us on the offensive line,' Fisch said. 'He's certainly shown to be everything that we thought he was going to be.' Rising Rahshawn Local product Rahshawn Clark, who went to Garfield High School, has stood out to Fisch ahead of his redshirt freshman season. Fisch envisions Clark, who is listed as a safety, playing a good amount of nickelback while Tacario Davis and Ephesians Prysock are the projected starting cornerbacks. 'I'm proud of the way he's playing,' Fisch said, 'and I think he's going to be a really, really good player for us.' Last year, the Huskies' defense was a solid 28th in the nation in total yards against per game (328.4). New coordinators While Fisch returns for his second season in the Pacific Northwest, he'll be joined by a pair of new coordinators this fall. Jimmie Dougherty, who was the passing game coordinator and QB coach at Washington last year, is now the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Former Purdue coach Ryan Walters, who went 5-19 across two seasons leading the Boilermakers, is the new defensive coordinator. Dougherty is taking over for Brennan Carroll, while Walters is assuming the position previously held by Stephen Belichick. Both Carroll and Belichick are following their fathers to their next coaching opportunities. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: and recommended
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Quarterback Demond Williams Jr. pacing Washington as spring practices wrap up
SEATTLE (AP) — Barring injury, there's no debating who Washington's next quarterback will be — and it's one coach Jedd Fisch has thought highly of for a long time. Sophomore Demond Williams Jr., who appeared in 13 games for the Huskies as a freshman and completed over 78% of his passes, initially enrolled at Arizona when Fisch was still running the show in Tucson. As Washington wraps up spring practice with its annual scrimmage on Friday night, it has become clear to Fisch that Williams isn't just the undisputed playcaller. Advertisement 'He's certainly evolved as a leader,' Fisch said. 'You can certainly feel and see him out there. The fact that it's his team now, he's not sitting back. He can understand that it's truly, truly up to him if the offense is struggling to get the offense going. Truly up to him if the offense is having success to keep the success going.' Williams spent most of last season as the backup to Mississippi State transfer Will Rogers, but flashed his potential in the Sun Bowl against Louisville by completing 26 of 32 passes for 374 yards and four touchdowns. This spring, the quarterback listed at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds has continued to flash his deft passing touch, especially on short, rhythm routes. Despite a shorter stature, Williams could very well be the kind of quarterback Fisch wants to run the Huskies' offense. 'We got 14 weeks (until the regular season starts) and we got to get really good together,' Fisch said. 'I'm going to commit to seeing how good we can be as a quarterback-playcaller tandem. And then on the same token, I know he's going to commit to see how good of a player he can be, so I'm excited about it.' Advertisement Tougher in trenches This time last year, Fisch had his hands full in terms of simply fielding a full roster for the spring game in his first year as Washington's coach. At no position was that felt more than offensive line, because the Huskies had just seven offensive linemen available for the spring game last May. On Wednesday, Fisch said he anticipated 17 offensive linemen would be able to participate. 'The difference is — I mean it's even hard to describe because No. 1 they look better,' Fisch said. 'Their size is better. They're moving better. They're playing at a really high level as a group.' Advertisement Fisch highlighted the addition of Carver Willis, a sixth-year offensive tackle who spent the last five seasons at Kansas State. Willis was an honorable mention All-Big 12 player in 2024. 'Big get for us on the offensive line,' Fisch said. 'He's certainly shown to be everything that we thought he was going to be.' Rising Rahshawn Local product Rahshawn Clark, who went to Garfield High School, has stood out to Fisch ahead of his redshirt freshman season. Fisch envisions Clark, who is listed as a safety, playing a good amount of nickelback while Tacario Davis and Ephesians Prysock are the projected starting cornerbacks. Advertisement 'I'm proud of the way he's playing,' Fisch said, 'and I think he's going to be a really, really good player for us.' Last year, the Huskies' defense was a solid 28th in the nation in total yards against per game (328.4). New coordinators While Fisch returns for his second season in the Pacific Northwest, he'll be joined by a pair of new coordinators this fall. Jimmie Dougherty, who was the passing game coordinator and QB coach at Washington last year, is now the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Former Purdue coach Ryan Walters, who went 5-19 across two seasons leading the Boilermakers, is the new defensive coordinator. Advertisement Dougherty is taking over for Brennan Carroll, while Walters is assuming the position previously held by Stephen Belichick. Both Carroll and Belichick are following their fathers to their next coaching opportunities. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: and
Associated Press
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Quarterback Demond Williams Jr. pacing Washington as spring practices wrap up
SEATTLE (AP) — Barring injury, there's no debating who Washington's next quarterback will be — and it's one coach Jedd Fisch has thought highly of for a long time. Sophomore Demond Williams Jr., who appeared in 13 games for the Huskies as a freshman and completed over 78% of his passes, initially enrolled at Arizona when Fisch was still running the show in Tucson. As Washington wraps up spring practice with its annual scrimmage on Friday night, it has become clear to Fisch that Williams isn't just the undisputed playcaller. 'He's certainly evolved as a leader,' Fisch said. 'You can certainly feel and see him out there. The fact that it's his team now, he's not sitting back. He can understand that it's truly, truly up to him if the offense is struggling to get the offense going. Truly up to him if the offense is having success to keep the success going.' Williams spent most of last season as the backup to Mississippi State transfer Will Rogers, but flashed his potential in the Sun Bowl against Louisville by completing 26 of 32 passes for 374 yards and four touchdowns. This spring, the quarterback listed at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds has continued to flash his deft passing touch, especially on short, rhythm routes. Despite a shorter stature, Williams could very well be the kind of quarterback Fisch wants to run the Huskies' offense. 'We got 14 weeks (until the regular season starts) and we got to get really good together,' Fisch said. 'I'm going to commit to seeing how good we can be as a quarterback-playcaller tandem. And then on the same token, I know he's going to commit to see how good of a player he can be, so I'm excited about it.' Tougher in trenches This time last year, Fisch had his hands full in terms of simply fielding a full roster for the spring game in his first year as Washington's coach. At no position was that felt more than offensive line, because the Huskies had just seven offensive linemen available for the spring game last May. On Wednesday, Fisch said he anticipated 17 offensive linemen would be able to participate. 'The difference is — I mean it's even hard to describe because No. 1 they look better,' Fisch said. 'Their size is better. They're moving better. They're playing at a really high level as a group.' Fisch highlighted the addition of Carver Willis, a sixth-year offensive tackle who spent the last five seasons at Kansas State. Willis was an honorable mention All-Big 12 player in 2024. 'Big get for us on the offensive line,' Fisch said. 'He's certainly shown to be everything that we thought he was going to be.' Rising Rahshawn Local product Rahshawn Clark, who went to Garfield High School, has stood out to Fisch ahead of his redshirt freshman season. Fisch envisions Clark, who is listed as a safety, playing a good amount of nickelback while Tacario Davis and Ephesians Prysock are the projected starting cornerbacks. 'I'm proud of the way he's playing,' Fisch said, 'and I think he's going to be a really, really good player for us.' Last year, the Huskies' defense was a solid 28th in the nation in total yards against per game (328.4). New coordinators While Fisch returns for his second season in the Pacific Northwest, he'll be joined by a pair of new coordinators this fall. Jimmie Dougherty, who was the passing game coordinator and QB coach at Washington last year, is now the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Former Purdue coach Ryan Walters, who went 5-19 across two seasons leading the Boilermakers, is the new defensive coordinator. Dougherty is taking over for Brennan Carroll, while Walters is assuming the position previously held by Stephen Belichick. Both Carroll and Belichick are following their fathers to their next coaching opportunities. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: and
USA Today
15-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Washington football lands several crystal balls to land promising 4-star QB
Washington football lands several crystal balls to land promising 4-star QB The Washington Huskies picked up several crystal ball predictions on Tuesday morning to land quarterback Derek Zammit, a four-star prospect from DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne, New Jersey, Jedd Fisch's home state. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound prospect is ranked as the nation's No. 26 quarterback and No. 6 player in the Garden State by the 247Sports Composite, and brings an intriguing skill set to the table as the Huskies have been looking for a while to land a signal caller in the 2026 class. While Fisch's squad also has several crystal ball predictions to land four-star Brady Smigiel, a top 100 prospect from Newbury Park High School in California, Zammit seems to have jumped quickly at the opportunity following an unofficial visit to campus. Zammit is coming off a successful junior season where he completed nearly 68 percent of his passes for 2,582 yards and 35 touchdowns to just 4 interceptions, and added 560 yards and 6 scores on the ground while leading his team to the New Jersey Non-Public B state championship. He also took an unofficial visit to Washington on April 5. "It was a really good trip," Zammit told Scott Eklund of the visit. "We got up there and from the get-go, we just spent a lot of time with the coaches. From Coach Fisch to [offensive coordinator Jimmie] Dougherty to [assistant quarterbacks coach JP] Losman, they spent a lot of time with me and showed me around." After including the Huskies in his top four in late March alongside Alabama, Mississippi State, and Syracuse, Zammit has taken several unofficial visits. That included an unofficial trip to Tuscaloosa to see more than a few former members of Washington's coaching staff, head coach Kalen DeBoer, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, and more. If Fisch's staff is able to earn a commitment from Zammit over DeBoer and the Crimson Tide, that would be a significant feather in its cap as it continues to build its 2026 class.
