Step outside, please. That's what the coach said.

No problem. That's what the player said.

It was shortly into the spring ball proceedings when Mike Williams was approached by Troy Walters about making a move. The Husker offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach wanted the newcomer Williams to move from an inside to outside role at his position. A challenge, yep. A chance to add more tools to that toolbox — you better believe it.

Williams took it as a compliment.

"I feel humbled with him trusting me to move outside when I played inside the majority of the spring to begin with," the receiver said. "Makes me feel like I'm versatile."

Versatility mixed with speed can make for a fine cocktail.

The way Williams' wheels work are not in question. He flashed an example of that to the Husker fan base early in the spring game, when he ran past a defensive back and forced a flag for pass interference. That's what speed do, as the line goes.

"It definitely plays a part when a guy can't cover you and all he can do is get his hands on you," Williams said. "It's frustrating at times when you know it's maybe a touchdown, but you just got to do what you can to help your team."

The receiver thinks playing on the outside can allow him to be more of that deep-ball threat. He uses the word "attack" in describing what he wants to do to cornerbacks and safeties. And if he doesn't get the ball, he still knows he can help get guys on the inside open.

The 5-foot-10, 175-pound Williams has so far been what Husker coaches hoped: a new addition from the junior-college ranks who can add to a wide receivers group that, aside from Stanley Morgan and JD Spielman, has just one catch among returning scholarship receivers.

It's why it was such a critical recruiting development last December that Nebraska added Williams and fellow former JUCO receiver Jaron Woodyard, who told Husker247 this week he expects to be here in May.

"We're going to stretch the defense with him," Walters has said of Woodyard. "He can take the top off a defense."

Better if you can find multiple guys who can do the latter.

Before spring even began, running backs coach Ryan Held said of Williams, "He can be a punt returner, a kick returner. Again, in Coach Frost's offense, we need bigger guys, but we need these peas that can run ... that's what we gotta have."

Walters has said Williams reminds him a little of himself as a player: a smaller guy with good speed who is going to work extra hard. It's a strong compliment considering Walters won the Biletnikoff Award.

And while moving Williams to the outside helped from a numbers standpoint, it wasn't the only reason.

"We felt like he knew how to play in the slot. Ideally I want to cross-train all the receivers," Walters said. "Ideally I want the receivers to know every position. That makes them more valuable. He knows the slot. For him to go outside with his speed, he's going to create mismatches with his speed."

Ideally it will put him the end zone.

Williams found it with a short touchdown catch during the spring game. He celebrated by pretending to make a snow angel.

"It wasn't a very good one," he admitted. "I didn't know what I was doing."

Forgiveness granted to a receiver from Florida. Forgiveness especially if you run past defensive backs in the fall.