GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Freshmen sometimes receive a little dose of reality in their first year playing college football.

It's safe to say many on the Gators roster were once 'the guy' on their high school team, their district or even state. However, things change once you set foot on a college campus.

“My fall camp, it’s been pretty good," said Iverson Clement. "Coming from a redshirt season and now finding my role within the system and really just my development... Whenever my number gets called I’m going to just rise to the occasion. But I’m working on special teams. I might be starting on kickoff. Everything is going fine.”

Clement arrived on campus as a four-star athlete, who rushed for over 3,000 yards as a three-year starter and 1,419 yards in his senior season. However, once the New Jersey native arrived in Gainesville, he saw himself behind several talented backs: Jordan Scarlett, Lamical Perine, Malik Davis and Dameon Pierce.

Clement leaned heavily on running backs coach Greg Knox.

“It’s really honestly more off the field stuff," said Clement. "He teaches me how to man up and no excuses. Just being like a man. You know that you messed up and you need to own up to what you did - whatever the case may be. He is going to be in your ear, and he is going to tell you. In the long term he is going to benefit.”

Knox is not the quietist man on the field during practice, however, Clement would not have it any other way.

"Every great player wants a great coach. I want coach Knox to keep going hard on me because I want to be a great player," explained Clement. "If he keeps yelling me, I am going to keep yelling, ‘yes sir, yes sir.’ I want to be coachable. But it does feel good. It was new to me. I was like, ‘man this guy never stops yelling.’ But naw he is talking with a purpose."

Some players in his position may have considered entering the transfer portal but Clement understands his role.

He understands his potential.

“Just patience. Your value doesn’t decrease. You have to look at yourself and know your value everyday," said Clement. "Lamical Perine, he is a senior and this is his first year starting. I’m pretty sure when he gets the ball this season he is going to do his thing, and he waited to start. You got Malik Davis, Dameon Pierce, nice running backs, great running backs too. It’s about knowing their value and knowing your race pretty much.”

This is the type of mentality Gators head coach Dan Mullen strives for. Mullen told reporters recently it's not about who starts, because in the end, he is hoping to rotate players in.

"He doesn’t want players in there the whole game. He wants players in there that are fresh," said Clement. "He wants people that understand what they are doing and that can execute. That piece right there is how you win a National Championship. You got ten guys that know what they are doing and you can sub in and out, that every player that are going got give 110 percent, to have depth at a position that you can sub in different guys that all have different value. That right there is key.”

According to Clement, that philosophy is not hard to buy into.

“I was at the top in high school but college is a new level.I am now at the bottom. Everywhere you are going in society you have to get back to the top. It’s hard in a way because everyone wants to shine but you got to be patient.”

Clement is hoping to take advantage of his opportunities in 2019. He is more comfortable within the scheme, but most importantly, the team is more comfortable.

“I think it’s slowed down for us a lot, as a whole team, just because it’s the second year in the system," said the running back. "Our first year, we didn’t even put in all the plays, all the formations, all the packages, they were just trying to get us started and get us going. Now this season, the little tricks and know people are seeing a whole bunch of stuff, Dan Mullen knows what he’s doing.”

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