The state of college sports has been under constant attack for the last year, as controversy continues to pile up without any real solution being presented. The latest crisis facing the Name, Image and Likeness era ostensibly centers around Washington football. Sophomore quarterback Demond Williams Jr. announced his decision to enter the transfer portal on Tuesday despite reportedly signing a contract to remain in Seattle. Now, the university is prepared to retaliate.
Washington “plans to pursue legal avenues” in light of this massive development, per Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, and is convinced that another school reached out to Williams after he signed his deal with the Huskies. Officials intend to present evidence of tampering, which would obviously subject the NCAA and the sport as a whole to a deluge of scrutiny.
LSU has been named as a program to watch amid Williams' Washington defection, which will surely raise eyebrows. Following a dragged-out and much-discussed exit from Ole Miss, these are probably not the optics that new Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin needs right now. It must be noted, however, that the mystery team the Huskies suspect of meddling has not been named at this time.
While there might be a dark cloud circling him for the next few months, Demond Williams Jr. is a dual-threat QB who is one of the most valuable transfers in the country. He completed 69.5 percent of his passes for 3,065 yards and 25 touchdowns and rushed for another 611 yards and six TDs in 13 games this season.
Given that Washington is planning legal action, this saga seems far from over. Buckle up.
