The Washington Huskies are heading into the season with real buzz around Demond Williams Jr., but one of the quarterbacks who came before him is already moving on to the next chapter.
Will Rogers, who held the job before Williams took over, is joining the staff at Oklahoma State.
Washington enters the year ranked 17th in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll, and that ranking comes with obvious expectations. If the Huskies hit that level or go beyond it, they could find themselves back in the College Football Playoff conversation - this time chasing a third appearance in program history and their first under the 12-team format.
A big part of that optimism is tied to Williams, who many analysts expect to take another step in his third year. He has already landed on preseason watchlists for several awards and is set to enter his second full season as a starter.
Last year, his first as the full-time guy, Williams led the Big Ten in total yardage with 3,676. He completed 69.5% of his passes for 3,065 yards, 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions, while also running 143 times for 611 yards and six scores.
Before Williams settled into the role, Rogers was the quarterback leading Jedd Fisch’s offense in Fisch’s first season as head coach.
Rogers arrived at Washington before the 2024 season after spending four years at Mississippi State. In his only season on Montlake, he started 11 games, completed 70.7% of his passes for 2,458 yards and threw 14 touchdowns against seven interceptions. The Huskies finished 6-7 that year, and Williams started the final two games, including Washington’s 35-34 loss to Louisville in the Sun Bowl.
Rogers’ playing career ended after the 2024 season. Over 54 games and 51 starts, he completed 69.5% of his passes for 14,773 yards, 108 touchdowns and 35 interceptions.
He didn’t turn that resume into a real NFL opportunity, but he now looks to be building toward coaching. His addition should give Oklahoma State’s staff another experienced voice as it begins life under Eric Morris, who was hired as head coach in December 2025.
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