Greg McElroy pushes back on the belief Washington cannot win without Kalen DeBoer

Just days after losing the national championship game, Washington was going through a coaching search. Kalen DeBoer left in favor of Alabama which meant the Huskies were without a leader entering the Big Ten. Eventually, Jedd Fisch was hired but results were not great, finishing with a 6-7 record.

Greg McElroy was asked if this meant Washington would be stuck in limbo for a few years now, given how competitive the Big Ten is. The ESPN analyst did not agree, having a more positive outlook on the program’s future. McElroy says Year 1 of Fisch should be thrown away due to the late nature of the hire, leading to a depleted roster.

“I think this is a team that absolutely can get back,” McElroy said. “When you lose your coach… Let’s just take last year and kind of rip it off and just throw it away because I don’t think that’s going to be the norm in the near future.”

McElroy compared Washington to the team they played in the 2023 national championship game, Michigan. Jim Harbaugh left late in the cycle in favor of the NFL. Sherrone Moore took over and had a little bit of a delayed start to his tenure. The same can be said about Fisch after coming over from Arizona.

So why is McElroy high on what Washington can do? Mainly because of quarterback Demond Williams. He will take over as the Huskies’ full-time starter after getting his first go against Oregon and in the Sun Bowl against Louisville. Yes, a game Washington lost but significant glimpses were shown.

For now, everything surrounding Williams is just a projection. McElroy believes when the calendar turns to December, the proof will be in the pudding, though.

“Demond Williams has a chance to be one of the better quarterbacks in the Big Ten this year,” McElroy said. “And by season’s end, assuming growth at the position, he could be one of the better players at the position in the country. That’s a realistic possibility with what could go down.”

Washington sports one of the toughest schedules in the country. All three of Michigan, Ohio State, and Oregon appear. If there is any consolation in that, two of them are at home with a trip to Ann Arbor on deck.

Either way, McElroy is confident Washington will be back to form eventually. Having a quality quarterback can do a lot for a team’s direction.