Practice was over and all of the Fresno State players had left Bulldog Stadium.

Except Greg Watson.

The junior-to-be stuck around about 15 minutes longer to catch a few more passes and work on his route running.

As was decided leading up to last year's Hawaii Bowl, Watson moved to receiver full time after serving the past two seasons as the Bulldogs' primary backup quarterback.

Watson did occasionally line up at receiver last year, most notably catching a 32-yard pass in the season opener and being part of a tricky double-lateral pass play in the regular-season finale.

But this switch to receiver is no gimmick, and Watson is determined to prove so.

He might not have the top-end speed of most other receivers and lacks the experience, last having served as a full-time receiver during his freshman year at Rancho Cucamonga High. But Watson and Fresno State coaches say they believe he can and will be a key piece to the Bulldogs passing game this upcoming season.

"That guy is very valuable to us," Bulldogs offensive coordinator Dave Schramm said. "He's doing a great job with the switch. He's a smart guy, a very intelligent football player. He understands our schemes, so we could play him at wideout or slot. He wanted to contribute more. We wanted to find a way to get him on the football field more."

In Fresno State's no-huddle spread, coach Tim DeRuyter has said the Bulldogs ideally like to have at least eight reliable receivers so they can sub en masse and keep everyone fresh and always moving at a fast pace when on the field.

Because the Bulldogs receiver corps only went about six deep in options that the coaching staff felt comfortable counting on when DeRuyter's coaching staff first arrived, Schramm mentioned to Watson the idea of playing receiver at times to provide depth.

But practice time at receiver never happened last spring. By summer camp, Watson still practiced mostly as a quarterback, though he spent some stretches working out with receivers and was utilized in special packages.

As Fresno State's receivers' depth got tested further throughout last season because of injuries and because some of the Bulldogs' younger receivers still were not fully ready to handle big-game situations, Watson's playing time and practice sessions at receiver increased. Watson finished last season with four catches for 50 yards.

Eventually, Schramm approached Watson about the idea of converting full time to receiver for the 2013 season.

"I love quarterback. I'm not going to lie," Watson said. "Receiver gives me a chance to broaden my horizons, get on the field and contribute. Our quarterback situation being what it is with (Derek Carr) being the starter, the only way I was going to get on the field was with trick plays, blow outs or as a receiver.

"I'm loving receiver. Can't complain. There are parts of my game I need to work out. But I know the offense and I know where I'm supposed to be."

As receiver, though, it's just as important knowing how one gets to the position where he's supposed to be, which requires knowing the nuances of the position, techniques that Watson still is learning.

Like how to create space from a defensive back while running a hitch route. Or tricking a defender into thinking you're going to cut one direction but really want to go the other direction.

And then there's blocking techniques and how to get leverage on cornerbacks.

"It's a big transition," receivers coach Ron Antoine said. "What'll make it a little easier is Greg's a good athlete. He's very coachable, willing to listen and work hard, and he grasps what you tell him and what he sees. He'll stick his face in there and get physical, too."

Then there's the physical transformation Watson's body is expected to undergo once spring camp is over and he has more time to work on getting into receiver shape.

In the first week of spring camp alone, the 5-foot-10 Watson said he lost seven pounds to drop to 215.

"All that running," he said, shaking his head before smiling.

His goal, though, is to drop down to 200 pounds by summer camp, and that makes the off-season crucial for Watson to play at the physical shape needed to be a full-time receiver. Strength and conditioning coach Joey Boese believes that's attainable and plans to formulate a specific workout and diet for Watson.

Watson also will get to spend more time working on his footwork and hip position during the off-season.

"I'm committed to receiver," Watson said. "I'm going to make this work."