Arizona Wildcats trending for 4-star QB Demond Williams Jr.

Chandler (Ariz.) Basha four-star quarterback Demond Williams Jr. announced his decommitment from Ole Miss Friday night. He had been committed to the Rebels since Dec. 30.

Not long after his decommitment, a new favorite quickly emerged to land his pledge. That new favorite was also much closer to Williams Jr.

Following recent industry updates, Arizona has emerged as the heavy favorite to now land Williams Jr.’s pledge. The Wildcats currently sit at 74% according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM).

“First I would like to thank Coach Kiffin, Coach Weis, and all of the Ole Miss staff that has believed in my abilities and been there for me since day 1. I will forever appreciate the consistent love from the fanbase and community of Oxford,” Williams Jr. tweeted out Friday night. “After careful consideration and talks with my family and God, it is in my best interest to take a step back and decommit from the University of Mississippi and re-open my recruitment. Ole Miss will still be one of my top choices, thank you and please respect my decision. God’s Plan.”

Arizona extended an offer to Williams Jr. in January 2021. It was fourth overall offer and first from a Power Five program since that offer he has visited the school multiple times including the Wildcats’ home-opener last season against Mississippi State.

The 5-foot-10, 180-pound signal-caller is the No. 300 overall prospect and No. 18 quarterback in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 5 player in Arizona.

Demond Williams Jr. currently has an On3 NIL Valuation of $73K. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.

Arizona recruiting in 2024 cycle

A pledge from Williams Jr. would be another recent win for Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch and his coaching staff.

Currently Arizona has 18 commitments in its 2024 class. The group ranks as the No. 42 class in the country, the No. 4 class in the Pac-12 and is headlined by a pair of four-star pledges.

Fisch landed the biggest win of his tenure at Arizona on July 6 as the Wildcats landed a pledge from the state’s top recruit in top-30 EDGE Elijah Rushing. Earlier in the year, Long Beach (Calif.) Jordan running back Jordan Washington became the Wildcats first four-star pledge.