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It was Abraham Williams’ idea.

After a second straight season cut short by injuries, the 6-foot-1, 186-pound cornerback sat down for a routine exit meeting with head coach Jason Eck. There, the player who was once considered New Mexico’s number one corner requested a position change.

Why?

“I don’t think I really enjoyed it,” Williams said. “Obviously, I do love football, but the position just wasn’t me. Making that switch was more (about) me just wanting to find the love again, and enjoy the sport.”

Through nine spring practices, Williams says he’s back to enjoying the game — this time as a receiver. After playing in the defensive backfield for the first six seasons of his career, the redshirt senior is entering his seventh learning how to move, run and play in a completely different manner.

The transition, Williams said, has been “a little easy and hard at the same time.” 

“There’s a lot of movements that I’ve never done before,” added Williams, who’s spent much of spring working with the second- and third-string offenses. “And I think (it’s) different on the body, too. From just backpedaling and breaking (at corner) to now, I gotta run full speed, break, change directions … There’s a lot of things I gotta learn.”

Williams isn’t a stranger to position changes. Originally an option quarterback at West High School in Salt Lake City, he was moved to safety at Weber State before switching to cornerback, his position in one year at Idaho and last season with UNM.

Williams entered the season as one of UNM’s starters on the perimeter, recording 22 tackles over seven games before head injuries kept him off the field. In March, Eck said that moving him to receiver gives UNM a chance to maximize his speed and skill set while hopefully limiting the type of injuries he suffered at corner.

As for Williams? He feels like his request is paying off so far.

“There’s a lot of hard (with the change), but when you’re very passionate and love what you’re doing,” he said, “none of that really matters.”

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INJURY REPORT: Some positive injury developments from Monday’s practice: Wide receivers Kader Diop and D.J. Darling were back in action after missing a chunk of the spring with injuries. That’s no small thing given how injured the receivers room has been.

The not-so-positive news: Running back Deshaun Buchanan did not practice, and was observed with a walking boot on his right foot and using crutches. The redshirt sophomore was injured during Friday’s scrimmage; it is unclear how long he might be out.

EARLY ENROLLEES: Wide receiver Massiah Mingo has undoubtedly been the most impactful of UNM’s nine early enrollees this spring. But Friday’s scrimmage instead saw Marco Beltran — an early enrollee out of The Woodlands, Texas — steal the show, with the freshman safety logging an interception and scoring a punt return touchdown.

HAMMER: The winners of Monday’s hammer, awarded to whoever Eck deems the player(s) of the practice? Tight end Cade Keith and safety Kevin Longstreet, with the former making a slick one-handed catch during a team period and the latter coming up with a pick-six on a pass from Toa Faavae.

“The whole play was going to the left side of the field,” Longstreet said. “I pushed to the left side, read the quarterback’s eyes, felt the over (route) coming from the backside and just picked it. Made a play.”

A Southern Cal transfer, Longstreet has mostly played free safety with some work at boundary safety and nickel safety. The 5-9, 190-pound redshirt sophomore isn’t the biggest, but he’s had a nice spring — consider him a player worth paying attention to, especially in UNM’s posse (six defensive backs) package.

RECRUITING: UNM has hosted plenty of recruits throughout spring practice. The two in attendance for Monday’s session: Braydon and Bryson Fleming, a receiver and cornerback sibling duo out of Forney, Texas.

Last season at North Forney High School, Braydon caught 10 passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns while Bryson made 45 total tackles. Both brothers are juniors; Bryson was offered by UNM on April 2.

ON STAGE: Saturday, rapper Waka Flocka Flame performed at Fiestas 2026 — an annual concert for UNM students held at Johnson Field — and brought Eck on stage. The latter took note of the “No Hands” artist’s 6-4 frame.

“Should’ve recruited him as a tight end,” Eck joked at Monday’s practice. 

Sean Reider covers college football and other sports for the Journal. You can reach him at sreider@abqjournal.com or via X at .