As a true freshman last fall, Chase Williams was moved from cornerback to safety when USC's depth at that spot reached an unusual low. Now, he's working at nickel this spring as the slot defender in the Trojans' even-thinner secondary.

But as it sounds from talking to the defensive coaches, Williams may have finally found a full-time position there.

"I had the confidence in myself to be able to say that I could play multiple positions in the secondary. … It honestly didn't matter to me where they moved me," he said this week. "I was going to compete regardless. Whatever they need me at, I'll play."

Well, USC has more needs than it can fill in the defensive backfield this spring, with a smattering of walk-ons helping the Trojans piece it all together for these 15 practices.

The coaching staff has the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Williams working at nickel now for a purpose, though, rather than simply necessity. That's where they see his future.

"He's the nickel and he'll have the ability to continue learning the safety spots so he's kind of an interior guy -- nickel, both safety spots … based on need. But he's primarily going to be the nickel," DBs coach Greg Burns said this week.

"He's been doing really good. He's improving -- some of the route concepts we're getting and putting him in man situations, he's covering better. Very smart, he understands the defense. We're going to expect a lot from him."

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