Florida State lands a commitment from North Carolina DL Keith Sampson
In mid-January Keith Sampson named a top five of Clemson, Georgia, N.C. State, Ohio State, and South Carolina but that list expanded and contracted in the time since then. The New Bern, N.C. defensive tackle visited Florida State this weekend and ended up committing to the Seminoles before leaving Tallahassee.
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CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State | JUCO
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WHAT THE SEMINOLES ARE GETTING
Sampson is a stout interior defensive lineman that can be used in a variety of ways. He is quick enough to shoot gaps to get into the backfield but he also has the size and strength to hold his ground at the point of attack. Sampson has a good motor as well. He frequently chases down balll carriers that are forced to turn back to the inside. Sampson has done a good job during his high school career of controlling the middle of the line of scrimmage but he'll be facing a significant step up in competition at the next level. It will be interesting to see how quickly he is physically ready for consistent action once he gets to the next level.
WHY IT'S BIG FOR FLORIDA STATE
Florida State needs to add interior defensive linemen in this class and Sampson is one of the first pieces to this puzzle. The defensive tackle joins defensive end and four-star Lamont Green as Florida State's two defensive line commits. N.C. State and South Carolina had been prioritizing Sampson and it is likely that they continue to recruit him through the end of this cycle. Look for Florida State to try to poach one or two more prospects from the Carolinas in this recruiting class.