FSU football: Impact of 4-star DL Keith Sampson commiting to the Noles

2023 blue-chip defensive lineman Keith Sampson changed his top five schools to add the Noles about a week ago.

Saturday afternoon, the North Carolina product committed to the Noles while visiting on the first day of spring practice.

Admittedly, I didn’t expect Sampson to verbally commit so quickly, and I know the incredulous FSU football fans out there will whine and complain it doesn’t mean anything until he signs.

Of course, I understand the sentiment after the entire Travis Hunter Jr. situation in the last recruiting cycle. However, it’s still a good sign for a player to believe in the coaching staff, especially in a critical position of need. Not to mention there are 30-40 players on campus they are actively recruiting for the 2023 recruiting cycle.

I’ve talked numerous times about the coaching staff’s need to address the trenches on the defensive side over the last couple of recruiting cycles. Sampson ranks as the No. 201 player and No. 28 defensive lineman nationally.

He’s the No. 4 player in the Tarheel State and listed as 6’3″ and 285 pounds. It’s still early in his recruitment, and I expect the in-state schools in North Carolina and Clemson to continue to stay in his ear. North Carolina, in particular, has done a great job of keeping its blue-chip players in-state or late. Clemson is Clemson, but will they have the same allure with the departure of Brent Venables to Oklahoma?

We saw them slip a bit in the last recruiting cycle, so we’ll see if Sampson visits any of these schools in the future. Ohio State and South Carolina were in his top five list as well. I have to give Odell Haggins credit.

Normally, it’s a long relationship process with Haggins, but to get such a quality defensive lineman to say yes this early is a departure from recent years.

FSU also has legacy four-star edge rusher Lamont Green Jr. committed, and the addition of Sampson is a great start to what FSU needs to do on that side of the ball in 2023. FSU football has five 2023 commitments to date.