‘Top-tier electric’: Don’t forget about Demond Williams, a four-star Ole Miss QB commit drawing Kyler Murray comps
Four-star 2024 quarterback Demond Williams committed to Ole Miss in January.
He hasn’t wavered.
Actually, he seems more dug-in on the Rebels than ever, even as he’s gained more and more attention over the spring and now-early-summer. He’s pushing nearly 30 offers. Auburn, BYU and Purdue all offered shortly after he announced for Ole Miss.
Williams last month returned to Oxford for an Elite 11 Regional. His performance earned him a spot in the Elite 11 Finals in Los Angeles, California, June 14-16. Among the other signal-callers Williams is poised to compete against is Dylan Raiola, a five-star and the nation’s No. 1 overall recruit.
Raiola is committed to Georgia.
“The Elite 11 deal, that only showcases so much of the ability,” On3 scouting and rankings assistant Cody Bellaire said recently in assessing Williams. Bellaire made the remarks during a stop by the Ole Miss Spirit’s #notcommitted podcast.
“Something that gets kind of glossed over at those events is those recruits do testing. (Williams) ran a laser sub-4.6 40 and he jumped a 32-inch vertical. Add in the fact he’s got a documented, sub-11.10 100-meter time and a 22.38 200-meter time.
“To say the kid’s dynamic or athletic is an understatement. He’s top-tier electric when it comes to the quarterback position. He’s creative and he’s a playmaker.”
Ole Miss quarterback Walker Howard and four-star commit Demond Williams Jr. both earned Elite 11 Finals honors (Photo credit: Shawn Palmer-On3)
Ole Miss currently has the nation’s No. 20 overall class.
The Rebels have secured nine total commitments. Williams, as the third-highest ranked, is among the headliners. He’s ranked as the No. 298 player in the country, as well as the No. 16 quarterback and No. 6 prospect in Arizona.
He doesn’t have ideal size; Williams is listed at 5-11, 180 pounds and probably comes in on the lighter end of both scales. But his athleticism reminds Bellaire of a few of the all-time-great players in modern college football.
“Ideally, you would love a little bit bigger stature,” Bellaire said. “Maybe a taller player. I think he’s listed at 5-11, close to the 170, 175 range in terms of weight. However, the film is just flat-out fun. He’s one of those guys you just turn the tape on and sort of just sit there and enjoy it for a little bit.
“He’s extremely impressive escaping the pocket, and he’s got a tight release that gets the ball up and out in a hurry. He can throw it from multiple arm angles and still maintain accuracy. The biggest concern I have is just the upside perspective from an arm-strength standpoint. You can really see it on film when he has to push the ball downfield. Ball lacks a little bit of air underneath it. You can see it when he escapes the pocket; he’s not able to get everything into his throws because he can’t get his full body into the throw.
“But, again, he’s a dynamic player that can create something out of nothing. To me, that’s one of the most valuable traits you can have as a collegiate signal-caller.”
Ole Miss commit Demond Williams’ athleticism reminds Bellaire of Kyler Murray (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
And as far as a next-level comp?
Williams is similar in size to Bryce Young, which makes for an easy comparison. But Young was a five-star ranked as the nation’s No. 1 quarterback. He’s a better deep-ball-thrower, too, and went on to become a record-setter at Alabama. Young was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft in April.
So, perhaps too lofty. Or maybe not. Because Bellaire is high on what Williams could become as a Rebel.
“The stature checks out, (as does) the ability to throw from multiple arm angles,” Bellaire said of the Young comparison. “The thing I think is the distinct comparison between the two is the overall arm talent and arm strength. The ability to push the ball down the field and throw an effective deep ball, Bryce Young checks that box more than Demond Williams. However, Bryce Young can escape and maneuver the pocket. Demond Williams has legit home-run speed.
“I think more Demond could translate closer to a guy like Kyler Murray or Lamar Jackson strictly from an athleticism standpoint.”
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