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(UWIRE) LOS ANGELES -- While quarterbacks Mark Sanchez and Mitch Mustain were swarmed by the media, wide receiver Damian Williams stood by himself catching passes from a JUGS machine.
Lost amid the all-consuming competition to replace John David Booty, the redshirt sophomore's solo act seemed to sum up the first of 15 spring practices for USC.
Sanchez, Mustain and Aaron Corp all showed flashes of brilliance, but it was Williams who stole the show with his impressive play.
"I'm just going to come out and prove I know what I'm doing," he said. "I'm just looking to establish myself and get into the lineup."
Williams, who left Arkansas after one season in which he caught 19 passes and was named to the Freshman All-SEC team, could do just that.
USC dealt with inconsistent play from its receivers most of last season. Departed tight end Fred Davis led the team in receptions, yards and touchdowns.
They especially struggled on third down, where savvy veteran Steve Smith had excelled from 2004 to 2006.
Williams demonstrated the ability to handle those situations Tuesday.
"[Damian] did a nice job in the slot and a lot of things across the middle," offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian said. "Stevie did a lot of that stuff."
"[Damian] can find windows in a defense, feel where the quarterback's eyes are and he has got great spacial awareness," Sanchez said. "He is a natural."
The only mistake Williams made was failing to haul in a touchdown late in the day, but Mustain took the blame.
"I overthrew him on that," said Mustain, who played with Williams at Springdale (Ark.) High and Arkansas. "I got too excited."
All three quarterbacks dealt with timing issues, but came away with mostly positive reviews.
