Keith Sampson Jr. signs with Florida State

Florida State has added another talented player to its defensive line room, with four-star Keith Sampson Jr. signing with the Seminoles today.

• PLAYER: Keith Sampson Jr.
• SCHOOL: New Bern (New Bern, North Carolina)
• SIZE: 6’3, 285 pounds
• RANKING: 92 rating (4-star) on 247 Sports Composite List (201st best player; 28th best DL, 7th best player in NC)
• OTHER SUITORS: Alabama Crimson Tide, Auburn Tigers, NC State Wolfpack, North Carolina Tar Heels, Ohio State Buckeyes, South Carolina Gamecocks

From his official FSU bio:

Consensus four-star recruit rated as No. 5 prospect in North Carolina, 29th among all defensive linemen nationally and country’s No. 186 prospect by 247Sports…ranked No. 7 in North Carolina and No. 13 defensive tackle in the nation by ESPN…220th in ESPN300…ranked No. 8 in North Carolina, No. 24 nationally at his position and No. 186 overall in the country by On3…tabbed 13th in state and 19th overall among defensive tackles by Rivals…recorded 255 tackles, including 47.0 for loss with 31.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and one interception in his prep career…selected to play in Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas following senior season…named NC Prep’s Defensive Player of the Year…helped lead New Bern to perfect 16-0 season and 4A state championship in 2022…made 96 tackles, including 23.0 for loss with 18.0 sacks during state title season…recorded 62 tackles, 12.0 for loss with 7.0 sacks, in eight games his junior year, helping Bears to 10 wins and second round of state playoffs…also played basketball for New Bern.

Thoughts from The Three Stars

David: Very nice job by FSU to fend off the home state schools and keep Sampson committed. Deceptively athletic and very strong, Sampson just played a major role in helping his high school team win a state championship.

Josh: From not making his initial top 5 list to getting him on campus and landing a commitment from him shortly thereafter and then fending off NC State and UNC for his services. Really good job by Mike Norvell, Adam Fuller, and Odell Haggins here.

Tim: 285-pound lineman that chases ball carrier sideline to sideline? Yes, please.

To stay up to date with all of today’s action, head to our signing day tracker as well as our official Florida State Seminoles football recruiting thread.