As is the case for many highly-touted recruits in high school, Arizona State freshman wide receiver Kyle Williams is used to being able to rely on his natural talent.

Williams was dominant as a senior last season at Vista Murrieta High School in Murrieta, Calif., as the Rivals 3-star prospect excelled as a wide receiver, running back, returner and even quarterback. He caught a team-high 53 passes for 849 yards and seven touchdowns at wide receiver, pairing that with 516 yards and 10 touchdowns out of the backfield and a couple more scores through the air.

Now, he’s being asked to become a football player – not just an athlete.

Williams’ biggest calling card – much like the former Sun Devil receiver who bears his same name – is his abilities as a return specialist, which instantly has jumped out during fall camp to elevate him in the depth chart. In his senior season, he totaled eight total return scores over 998 yards. Now, he finds himself behind one of the Pac-12’s best return specialists in Tim White and speed threat, Gump Hayes.

“My return game definitely gives me a higher chance of getting on the field, but I’m just going to keep working through fall camp and see what happens,” Williams said. “I’m working with the coaches right now and I have two really good returners [Tim White and Gump Hayes] in front of me, but if anything happens it looks like I’m the next up. I’ve just got to stay ready.”

Working as a returner, Williams is able to use most of the ability that sets him apart from other receivers – speed, quickness, and the ability to find openings and hit them with conviction. Now, at the college level, he’s trying to further refine his skills as a returner and see how it also plays into his role as a receiver.

“You just want to focus on catching the ball [as a receiver] – that’s number one – but both spots [returner and receiver] it’s almost kind of the same. You just want to catch it and find the openings through the seams.”

Williams’ skills have a returner have put him on the radar of the coaches in his first fall camp, especially given that the receiving corps has been decimated by injuries through the first two weeks. Redshirt junior Cam Smith, redshirt sophomore Jalen Harvey and freshman N’Keal Harry – all with high expectations to produce this season – all have missed time this fall camp and have forced Williams, as well as several walk-ons like ML Harris, into meaningful reps. While the reps may not be there as the season opener looms, Williams is trying to make sure his name stays up on the depth chart.

“I just take everything in a positive way,” he said. “We have some walk-ons, we have some guys [getting playing time] but I’m just focused on doing my stuff every single day and I’m just focused on getting better.”

Earning early playing time has forced Williams to learn quickly, forcing him to turn to veterans such as Smith, White, Ellis Jefferson and Fred Gammage. Williams, regarded as an athlete out of high school, is also trying to affirm his status as a wide receiver. One of the things he’s worked on has been his route-running, even working on the finer things such as when to pick his head up coming out of a route or adapting to his new playbook.

“Everybody is faster [in college],” Williams said. “You can’t really just come out here and burn everybody here. When you’re coming up in these leagues, it takes a little more technique [at each level] and more fundamentally-sound stuff to get you open.”

The person who will have the biggest hand in molding Williams in his young career is new wide receivers coach Jay Norvell, who came over from Texas this offseason and brings with him a strong reputation of developing receivers.

“[He’s really big on] wide receiver technique,” Williams noted. “Everything is really important [to him]. The details are important, and that’s just what he teaches and preaches. He’s very assertive. He’s very hands-on, which is good, and it just helps us as players and is a really good technique [for coaching].”

Williams was initially recruited under Mike Norvell’s offensive staff to come to ASU. In the time since he first committed, the staff has been completely reinvented. Mike Norvell is not at Memphis as the head coach, with former Southern Miss offensive coordinator in his place. Jay Norvell is now coaching wide receivers, taking over the role from Del Alexander after he moved to tight ends. With a new staff, Williams is just trying to forge the best relationship and first impression he can.

“I’m trying to do everything right, getting all my assignments done and being a student of the game under him,” he said.