Kyree Campbell made his season debut against Missouri after missing the first three games for an undisclosed reason.

Prior to his return, Florida’s defense was allowing its opponents to average 164 rushing yards per game. With Campbell thrown back into the mix, the defense gave up only a fourth of that to Mizzou.

Running back Larry Rountree III, who averaged 99 rushing yards per game, was held to just 36 yards and the Tigers finished with 40 on the ground.

“Having Kyree back, it allowed Brenton [Cox] to move back a little bit,” said defensive coordinator Todd Grantham. “It gave us the ability to play Brenton as a true outside ’backer as opposed to a defensive end.

“We played with bigger-body guys and that physical presence allowed us to be pretty stout against the run.”

Campbell’s immediate impact on Grantham’s unit came as no surprise.

In 2019, he didn’t miss a start and made a defensive stop in every game. He ended the year ranked fifth on the team in total tackles (39) and notched four tackles for loss as well as a sack.

But his value on defense goes beyond the stat sheet.

“He's a veteran player," UF coach Dan Mullen said. “He’s going to raise the play of some of the players around him and then it’s like when there’s a trickle-down effect. When guys come back it’s a trickle up effect. You’ve got a returning starter on the defensive line.”

The Gators certainly needed him back, but the silver lining was getting snaps for some younger guys who wouldn’t have played as much with Campbell available. The biggest beneficiary has been freshman defensive tackle Gervon Dexter, who still has the team’s only interception and five tackles in four games played.

“When you have to play players the way we’ve had to defensively this year, it actually creates depth and that helps you as the year goes on,” Mullen said. “Now guys have experience.”

That experience — coupled with Campbell’s veteran presence — will be counted on Saturday against No. 5 Georgia, which has the SEC’s third-best rushing offense. Following his absence for the first month of the season, finally being able to suit up for his senior year was a relief for Campbell.

“It was tough,” Mullen said. “You’re a guy that’s a senior and you’re not out there on the field playing. I mean, it’s hard. We’ve had a lot of guys miss games for various reasons and it’s never easy on any of them.

“Any competitor wants to be out there on the field competing, playing and helping the team win. That’s really hard, but I knew he was really excited to be out there and get back on the field and start making plays again.”