Washington's Demond Williams Jr. wins Manning Passing Academy competition

It must be a Dawg thing.

On Friday, Washington Huskies soon-to-be sophomore quarterback Demond Williams Jr. won the Riddell Sports Air It Out Championship at the celebrated Manning Passing Academy.

His performance comes just two years after former Washington star Michael Penix Jr. won the same competition.

This year marks the 29th MPA, a camp created by the Manning family, as the event's website explains in detail:

"The Manning Passing Academy is owned and operated by the first family of football; Archie, Cooper, Peyton and Eli Manning... and is an integral part of their lives."

"The Manning’s are always the first to arrive and the last to leave. The concept of this camp sprang from the concern that even the most basic fundamental skills of throwing and catching a football were lacking during a youngster’s developmental years (grades 8 - 12)."

"It was this concern that motivated the Manning's to bring together some of the most successful and brightest coaches and players from the professional, college, and high school ranks each summer in Louisiana. And although the Manning name has been practically synonymous with the quarterback position for almost 60 years ... it's not just for QBs." 

For Williams, the win is a further testament to the not-so-quiet rumblings coming out of Seattle that Washington has its next great quarterback.

A four-star recruit coming out of Basha (Arizona) in the class of 2024, Williams enrolled at Arizona in January 2024, but entered the transfer portal almost immediately to follow head coach Jedd Fisch from Arizona to Washington.

As a freshman last fall, the 5-foot-11, 187-pound signal-caller threw for 944 yards, eight touchdowns and just one interception while rushing for 282 yards and a score.

But even those numbers don't tell the whole story.

At times, most notably in a Sun Bowl loss against Louisville, Williams flashed truly elite traits on the field and looked the part of a potential future All-American. 

Of course, there's still a lot of development left for the young passer.

His attendance at the Manning Passing Academy is proof that he's taking that development seriously.

His win Friday shows that he's making progress.

Expect a breakout season for Williams this fall, because he's got a chance to be special.