GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Dameon Pierce's body was always built to be a menace to defenses. However, after just one offseason with Nick Savage, Pierce realized he was not even scratching the surface of his true potential.

"Coach Savage's going to reshape [your body] for you," Pierce told reporters after Saturday's practice. "Right now I'm leaned up, but I'm at 220 still - so still the same weight."

During his freshman season, the Georgia native ran for 424 yards and two touchdowns for the Gators while catching five passes out of the backfield for 20 yards and one touchdown.

However, he earned most of his playing time on special teams, recording four tackles.

This year could see Pierce factor more in Dan Mullen's offense, and because of his offseason workouts with Savage, Pierce's body and mind are ready for the grind.

"I feel a whole lot more agile in terms of making cuts, seeing holes and everything,” explained Pierce. “[Savage is] going to make sure you get the most out of every workout and if it's not up to standard you're going to do it again. Our standard is a high-intensity workout, every day full speed. After doing that for six months, you're going to see a difference in your body.

"Overall Coach Savage did a great job getting us prepared for this fall and moving forward towards the season."

Savage's program is not easy. It is intense and it's a lifestyle change.

“When you're in summer conditioning, you've got to make sacrifices like waking up early and then juggling class with the summer workouts that Coach Savage gives you," said Pierce. "He does a great job putting the workouts to fit into our schedule so [we're not] in too much of a rush to get to class. He wants us to come into our workout, get a good breakfast in before so we can attack the day."

This is also a very different fall camp for the freshman and his fellow Gators. Last season, Pierce and his fellow teammates were still familiarizing themselves with the staff's expectations.

This season the expectations are known; the schemes are known.

"I feel like everybody's more comfortable in the scheme,” he said. “The less you think, the better you're going to perform. Coach Mullen stresses he wants us to go out there and he doesn't want us to be thinking.

"He doesn't want it to be a long process because that's going to slow down our tempo," added Pierce. He wants to be an up-tempo team. If you're thinking, you're not going to have a fast tempo."

Pierce has put in the work and he is eager to see the rewards from it.