Ducks Attack Message Board Forum

StevensTechU wrote: Tue Jan 06, 2026 8:53 pm Is it better for uw to save $4-5M but need a QB, or waste $4-5M on Demond Williams?

They needed Demond more than Demond needed them, but that's also thanks to being able to shine at a place like UW.

I wonder if they'll have to pay a Jock Tax or be considered exempt from that as a university employee?

The problem with keeping Demond now and forcing him to honor the contract is that you may end up with a salty, unmotivated player on squad. Not saying he would necessarily be like that, but it's possible.

Texas Tech has landed the top defensive lineman in the portal in Mateen Ibirogba from Wake.

Besides the dumbness of the transfer portal opening while the season is still not complete, which is.... dumb, wouldn't it make more sense if the transfer declaration window opened and closed before a signing period opened? Wouldn't that be better for both teams and players? I also think it would not be a bad idea if the players had some degree of risk that they lose the opportunity to sign to a new team and have to go down a division if they made a poor choice to transfer.

I haven't seen numbers thrown out there for too many positions, so please contribute if you've seen anything you think is relatively reputable on this topic....

As far as what transfers are being paid, $5M with incentives appears to be the top of the market for a quarterback. If Brendan Sorsby hits on everything at Texas Tech, that's roughly what he would get paid, per reports. Generally, the top QBs are on the $4-5M range, and includes guys like Mensah (Duke), Beck (Miami), and so on. Demond Williams was supposedly in the $4-5M range after resigning with washington, but he's now in the portal with the rumor that LSU is offering $6M. Lower down the charts, bear in mind that Oregon State was supposedly paying Malik Murphy 1.2M. I don't have the slightest clue what unproven high school QBs are getting paid.

Oregon State was paying Damien Martinez around $400k two years ago, and he opted to take off for Miami for a higher number. It was reported that Ohio State's Quinshon Judkins was the top earner in 2025 at the position, making roughly $650k. However, this year the Florida running back was able to get Florida, LSU and Texas into a bidding war and may be over a million.

On the offensive line, Oregon is paying Isaiah World around $1.4M according to his coach at Nevada. The top of the market is rumored to be around $2M.

I haven't seen much about other positions.

In terms of where this money comes from, the revenue share agreed to with the US judicial system was set to start at $20.5M and cover all sports (I believe), so anything above that number is coming from boosters or laundered through a bogus outside company. Per Lane Kiffin's contract with LSU, there are guarantees that he'll get $30M for NIL, which probably puts the school in the top grouping (I imagine there are some higher, but probably not by a lot, and likely 10-15 programs within a stone's throw of $30M).

That's all I got. It's all loose reporting and rumored figures, but not all rumors are created equal. If anyone wants to add, or detract, feel free.

Duck07 wrote: Tue Jan 06, 2026 9:16 pm

StevensTechU wrote: Tue Jan 06, 2026 8:53 pm Is it better for uw to save $4-5M but need a QB, or waste $4-5M on Demond Williams?

They needed Demond more than Demond needed them, but that's also thanks to being able to shine at a place like UW.

I wonder if they'll have to pay a Jock Tax or be considered exempt from that as a university employee?

Demond is good, but there's other QBs I'd rather have. Crazy though what's happening:

Embedded Tweet

https://www.cbssports.com/college-footb ... f-control/

Per CBS Sports, as of earlier today (Jan. 7, 2026), roughly 25% of FBS players were in the transfer portal.

On the Demond Williams bit...

What the heck do you do if you're washington for the QB position in 2026? Do you assume the worst and go after another QB for next year, and take the risk that you're financially responsible for two QBs? Do you hope that you get Demond back on the team?

Fwiw, Williams is just not a player who particularly impresses me. I've probably only seen him play in his two Duck games in 2024 and 2025, but he just was not a guy who "struck fear" into me as a fan of one of his team's opponents. I'll admit -- and this is probably more for the old guys like me on this board -- there's maybe a bit of a "Fran Tarkenton-esqe" quality about him -- a little guy who scrambles around to make plays -- but even if Dante were to declare and we were in the QB market and Williams were available, I most definitely would not want him.

StevensTechU wrote: Thu Jan 08, 2026 6:37 am On the Demond Williams bit...

What the heck do you do if you're washington for the QB position in 2026? Do you assume the worst and go after another QB for next year, and take the risk that you're financially responsible for two QBs? Do you hope that you get Demond back on the team?

I think you're best off releasing him and making LSU pay a small amount in damages to just be done with it.

While Demond wont want to tank his draft stock and play poorly, its not a good dynamic to be in and in their shoes I'd want to move on.

Duck07 wrote: Thu Jan 08, 2026 8:45 am

StevensTechU wrote: Thu Jan 08, 2026 6:37 am On the Demond Williams bit...

What the heck do you do if you're washington for the QB position in 2026? Do you assume the worst and go after another QB for next year, and take the risk that you're financially responsible for two QBs? Do you hope that you get Demond back on the team?

I think you're best off releasing him and making LSU pay a small amount in damages to just be done with it.

While Demond wont want to tank his draft stock and play poorly, its not a good dynamic to be in and in their shoes I'd want to move on.

This. Basically LSU will pay a buyout as a settlement. Avoid legal battle/issues and pay a bit more and move on.

After reading in the NYT that Demond Williams and Jedd Fisch have the same agent, this felt like it was coming. ESPN reporting that the agent dropped Demond. I'm sure he weighed losing which client would have the larger ripple effects and this was where he landed.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/s ... al-dispute

Former Oregon defensive end/OLB Anthony Jones is transferring to Nebraska after being at UCLA, Michigan State, Indiana and Oregon. He also practiced with Oregon State but left before the season. No, I swear I'm not making this up.

StevensTechU wrote: Thu Jan 08, 2026 2:20 pm Former Oregon defensive end/OLB Anthony Jones is transferring to Nebraska after being at UCLA, Michigan State, Indiana and Oregon. He also practiced with Oregon State but left before the season. No, I swear I'm not making this up.

No doubt a Big Ten record. 5 different Big Ten teams.

StevensTechU wrote: Thu Jan 08, 2026 2:20 pm Former Oregon defensive end/OLB Anthony Jones is transferring to Nebraska after being at UCLA, Michigan State, Indiana and Oregon. He also practiced with Oregon State but left before the season. No, I swear I'm not making this up.

Dude must be burning bridges left and right to want to transfer that much