The best athletes in the high school gathered at Nicholls State University for a thrilling and insightful 4-day camp organized by the Manning Passing Academy. Run by the most decorated family in CFB, the event also brings some of the best players as mentors. The who’s who of CFB attended this event; Arch Manning, Garrett Nussmeier, and Cade Klubnik were there to motivate the budding footballers. However, it was Washington‘s Desmond Williams Jr. who stole the show on a fun-filled Friday.
Williams followed Jedd Fisch from Arizona to Washington before making his debut in the Huskies’ offense in 2024. He started in the last two games of the season, and they were enough to cement his future as Washington’s next star. “I think this kid, Demond Williams, is going to be someone to keep an eye on. I can’t wait to coach him over the next two to three years, and then be able to talk about him going to Indianapolis for that [NFL] combine,” Fisch said on The Rich Eisen Show. He received PFF’s highest grade among freshmen QBs in the power 4 schools, winning over budding stars like DJ Lagway and Nico Iamaleava.
Now ready to lead the Huskies to a better season in 2025, Williams traveled to Thibodaux to give some words of advice to the future generation of football. On Friday, he also participated in the ‘Air It Out’ challenge, where QBs test themselves for their accuracy. Williams competed with some of the most elite QBs in the nation at the moment, by the way. And yet, it was he who won the challenge. He also did a chest bump with a fellow QB in celebration, pumped to win the challenge.
University of Washington QB @QBDwilliams1 wins the final competition of the Friday Night Lights portion at the Manning Passing Academy #AllAboutTheW | #PurpleReign pic.twitter.com/JCOMUQ15fO
— Cory Mose (@Cory_Mose) June 28, 2025
It sets a precedent for Demond Williams’ first major season this year. It was really set from last year itself, in the Sun Bowl Game. He completed more than 26 of his 34 pass attempts for 374 yards, scored 4 passing TDs, and ran for one as well. In spring practices, too, reports say that flashes of his brilliant performance from last year were evident. During that time, CBS Sports’ Bud Elliott ranked him as the 7th-best returning in 2025. He still has a lot to prove, but winning this challenge sure does increase hopes for him among fans.
Fans leave a mixed bag of reactions for Demond Williams Jr.’s win
Fans and critics both made their presence known under the clip on X. “Didn’t Penix also win it before his final year at the UW?” wrote one fan. A particular photo of Michael Penix Jr. with Archie Manning handing him the prize for the same challenge was shared by one fan. He won the challenge in 2023, which makes Williams’ win an interesting sequel. Penix Jr. then went on to appear at the National Championship in 2023, and also won the Big 10 championship that year for the Huskies. Can Williams be on the same track as well?
His skeptics, however, weren’t as sold. “That can’t be he got sacked 20 times by Oregon,” wrote one fan. 20 is an exaggeration, because Williams was sacked 10 times in that game. It tied the program’s single-game record, and at that point, it was the highest made by any team in the FBS during the season. “Now do it under pressure,” wrote another critic. Williams did not win in either of his starts. But the potential is there for him to change these negatives into positives this season, now that he is a full-time QB1.
“2!!!! Yessir,” wrote a dedicated Washington football account. That should be the vibe for Demond Williams Jr. in his first full season as the Huskies’ starting quarterback. Sure, he didn’t quite start on a great note. But there’s no reason to believe that Williams Jr. will not succeed in his task. He won a challenge among college football’s best QBs, continuing a trend started by Michael Penix Jr. Does this indicate that Williams is set to take the Huskies to a better finish this season?
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