Despite unusual circumstances, Williams all in with new staff
Coaching changes are generally always hard on players, and that was especially the case for Nebraska’s wide receivers this offseason.
Few assistants had the type of bond that former receivers coach Keith Williams had with his unit, and his departure left a fairly significant void to fill for the group both on and off the field.
But no Husker wideout dealt with a more difficult transition than Williams’ son, senior Keyan Williams.
New offensive coordinator/receivers coach Troy Walters was well aware of the task at hand in winning over his new players, especially with the Keyan’s unique situation.
As it turned out, though, Keyan and his father made it clear before the first spring practice that there would be no lingering issues.
“(Keyan) bought in from Day 1,” Walters said. “Actually, his dad called me a couple weeks ago and told me that Keyan’s loving the new staff and he’s 100-percent sold out and bought into what we’re doing. He wants to be great and he wants to be coached.”
After transferring from Fresno State to follow his dad to Lincoln, Keyan sat out the 2016 season and entered last year with a legitimate chance to contribute at slot receiver.
A lingering hamstring injury in fall camp derailed his 2017 campaign before it even started, and the New Orleans native ended up catching just one pass for 19 yards the entire season.
There was obviously plenty of speculation over what Keyan’s future at Nebraska would hold after his father and the rest of NU’s former staff were let go, but to his credit, he’s embraced the opportunity with his new coaches.
“He’s a smart football player, a coach’s son,” Walters said. “He understands how to get open, how to run routes. Fundamentally, technically, he’s sound. He’s a guy who you can tell he’s been around football and he has an understanding of what it takes to get open.
“We’ve got a couple guys in the slot that are doing a good job, and the competition is great. He’ll just continue to get better and we’ll go from there.”
Given how close Keith Williams was to his receiving corps, Walters said he knew he had to handle the transition delicately when he first arrived at Nebraska.
Walters said his message to the unit from the start was that he only wanted to continue to build upon what Keith had established over the previous three years.
“I told the guys when I came - because I knew Coach Williams is a great receivers coach - I told them what you learned from him, you have, and now you can learn some more from me and you’ll have more tools in your toolbox,” Walters said. “They’ve embraced that, and they’re doing a great job.”