Nile Lawrence-Stample, Defensive Tackle: Florida State Football 2013 Season Preview

Florida State football kicks off on Labor day at Pitt. Tomahawk Nation previews the season up until that date by analyzing every player and other key issues facing the 2013 Seminoles.

No. 99 Nile Lawrence-Stample | 6'1, 314 | RS Sophomore | Defensive Tackle

School Bio (Courtesy of Seminoles.com)

2012: Redshirt freshman who played in eight games for the Seminoles...totalled 10 tackles (four unassisted) and added a tackle for a loss...registered a career-high four tackles in the win over Boston College...added two tackles in the win over Wake Forest...had half tackles for loss against Wake Forest and Maryland.

2011: Redshirt season.

PERSONAL: A four-year starter who played middle linebacker as a junior before moving to defensive tackle as a senior...despite playing defensive tackle for the first time in his life as a senior, became a dominating presence on the Nova defensive line, regularly drawing double- and occasionally triple-team attention...finished the 2010 campaign with 47 tackles, six sacks and a forced fumble...four-star prospect who was ranked the No. 29 defensive tackle by Rivals.com...rated a four-star prospect and the No. 14 defensive tackle by 247Sports...three-star prospect by Scout.com who was the No. 37 defensive tackle...named First Team All-Broward County by the Sun Sentinel as a senior...No. 80 on Bill Buchalter's 2011 Florida Top 100 for the Orlando Sentinel...No. 71 on the SuperPrep Florida 110...was a big hit at a Miami combine with a 4.9 in the 40-yard dash...All-Broward County First Team by The Miami Herald as a senior...member of the Florida Times-Union's Florida Super 75 where he was rated as the No. 3 defensive tackle...No. 146 on the ESPNU 150 and rated the No. 13 overall defensive tackle...coached by Bill Hobbs...as a junior middle linebacker at Nova, registered over 100 tackles...born July 14, 1993.

Green though he may be, Nile Lawrence-Stample is another of the extremely talented Florida State defensive tackles that will seek to replace 2012 starters Everett Dawkins and Amp McCloud. Last year, NLS saw snaps as the third-string nose tackle behind McCloud and Timmy Jernigan, the latter of whom will start 2013 ahead of Nile. While Demonte McAllister is the presumed starter at the 3-tech DT position alongside Jernigan, the rest of the rotation is an uncertainty at this point. Jacobbi McDaniel is back after a nasty leg injury, Derrick Mitchell returns from a back injury, four-star true freshman Keith Bryant arrives this summer, and the very talented Eddie Goldman and Justin Shanks will see increased opportunities for playing time as well.

Another question is exactly how the new defensive staff will align all of the defensive tackles at their disposal, even though Haggins remains at position coach. As we mentioned in the defensive tackles spring preview, Mark Stoops seemed to prefer longer players at 3-tech with quicker players at nose, as evidenced by seemingly-prototypical 3-tech Timmy Jernigan playing the nose tackle position. Some changes are bound to occur, the full extent of which we likely won't know until fall camp comes around. However, Lawrence-Stample did remain at nose for the spring game, and at 314 pounds it would be logical to assume that he remains there. By the way, that game saw NLS perform as the leading tackler for the first team defense with 9, including 3.5 sacks (touch rules), and 4 tackles for loss. It was a great spring for Nile, a freak athlete who was a former high school linebacker.

Relatedly, it has yet to be seen the degree to which Pruitt will utilize packages such as three-man fronts. With significantly better depth at the interior line positions than at end, as well as his background at Alabama, it would seem likely that the Seminole defense will feature this alignment. Will Pruitt ask his linemen to 2-gap in such situations? How will Lawrence-Stample factor into the three-man front? Could he play the pure 0-tech, or will he play an outside position? These are questions to which no one other than those on staff has answers, as defensive changes were largely kept under wraps throughout spring ball.

One thing is certain - number 99 will be asked to play a significant role in filling the roughly 1600 snaps that will be needed between the two defensive tackle positions. He has the size and excellent athleticism to do so very capably, and 'Noles fans hope that he emerges as another stud in a loaded interior DL unit.