Washington football ended up dealing with Demond Williams and his 2026 status. Now that things simmered there, the Huskies have now added depth to the quarterback room via Stanford: Landing Elijah Brown.
The former Cardinal four-star signing has chosen UW as his next destination, Hayes Fawcett of On3/Rivals confirmed on Monday afternoon.
Brown once rose as a massive recruiting win for Troy Taylor and his Cardinal coaching staff. Taylor, however, got fired before 2025 spring football practices amid accusations of bullying a female staffer.
The former Mater Dei High of Santa Ana, Ca., star QB then played for Frank Reich — but didn't win QB1 duties over Oregon State transfer Ben Gulbranson. Brown ultimately played in six games — passing for 829 yards and throwing four touchdowns with two picks.
He helped lead Stanford to the upset of Florida State on Oct. 18; completing 6-of-12 for 71 yards. He would've played for his third different head coach in Palo Alto since his 2024 commitment had he stayed at Stanford. Tavita Pritchard has now taken the head coaching reins there.
Is ex-Stanford QB a Demond Williams replacement for Washington?
Speculation sprouted that Brown is the contingency plan if Williams leaves.
Williams sparked national attention with his high-profile decision at attempting to leave. Beau Pribula of Missouri even visited UW on Jan. 7 amid the ongoing situation involving Williams' future.
Yet Williams re-signed with the Huskies on Jan. 2 — handing the assurance he wasn't planning on leaving via the College Football Transfer Portal. His decision to enter the portal ignited fury across the CFB realm in this new era.
The dual-threat passer assured his commitment to Washington two weeks ago, though. Brown looks like the heir apparent after 2026 should Williams enter the NFL Draft.
