Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1546159
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 6 5 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Penn State added what could go down as one of the most important commit- ments in Year 1 of the Matt Campbell era when it received a pledge from Hopewell (Pa.) High standout James Armstrong on July 2. Listed at 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, Arm- strong is not only one of Pennsylvania's top 2028 prospects but also one of the best quarterbacks in the country, with Ri- vals ranking him No. 9 at the position and No. 100 among all players in the cycle. The Rivals Industry Ranking, which combines the grades from the three major recruit- ing services into a cumulative score, has him slightly lower at No. 12 among signal- callers nationally. But the consensus four- star prospect is one of the top six players in the Keystone State in both sets of rankings, placing third according to Rivals' scouts and sixth in the Industry Ranking. Armstrong said he'd been high on the Nittany Lions long before he announced his decision. "Penn State has always been a dream school for me," he said. "I've known for a while now that they were my No. 1 school. I took my time because I didn't want to have any doubts. That's the kind of mindset I have. I have no doubts about where I'm going to go. I have no doubts about what position I'm going to play. [The recruiting process] just solidified my thoughts on the program as a whole." Armstrong is a talented multisport athlete who recently became the first sophomore ever to be named the Pitts- burgh Post-Gazette's Athlete of the Year. He's best known for what he did on the gridiron last season, totaling 3,000 yards of offense and 38 touchdowns while tossing only 3 interceptions. With Armstrong leading the offense, the Vikings finished 7-5 and ended a 13- year playoff drought last fall. "The first time I ever saw James play, he was in seventh grade and I was the defensive coordinator at Freedom High School," third-year Hopewell coach Matt Mottes said. "Freedom's junior high team was undefeated, and they were do- ing an impromptu playoff game against Hopewell. So, I went out to watch and I believe Hopewell ended up beating them 61-21, something like that. But what I re- ally remember was watching James play and thinking, wow, this kid is special, he's going to be really good someday." Armstrong also excels in basketball and baseball. He averaged 19.8 points and 14 rebounds on the hardwood this past sea- son, after which he batted .382 and stole 17 bases for the Vikings baseball team. Despite his success in those sports, Armstrong has long been focused on playing football at the college level. He earned more than two dozen scholarship offers throughout his recruitment. Pitt and PSU hosted him the most over the past two years, and he also visited Florida State, Kentucky, Michigan State, Ohio State and West Virginia earlier this year. Mottes said Penn State is getting more than just a talented athlete in Armstrong. It's also getting a committed leader. "He cares about winning together, as a team," Mottes explained. "Having a good team atmosphere means the world to him, not being at the front of the line." — Ryan Snyder COMMITMENT PROFILE JAMES ARMSTRONG Hopewell QB Brings Athleticism, Leadership To 2028 Class James Armstrong is an intriguing quarterback talent in the 2028 cycle. For starters, he's physically gifted. He's filled out and has plenty of density in his frame. He already has that ready-made size and is only going into his junior season. At over 6-2 and nearly 220 pounds, he's probably one of the more physically developed quarterbacks in the 2028 cycle. He has a big frame, too, with 10-plus-inch hands. When you look at his skill set, he's got a live arm and can push the ball downfield. I really liked the dual-threat abilities he showed last season as well. He was one of the more productive dual-threat quarterbacks, and possibly the most productive. He's certainly up there among the best in the group, running for nearly 800 yards in addition to throwing for over 2,200. I also really like that he's a three-sport athlete. He's a very good basketball and baseball player, so he's not a guy who trains for quarterback year-round. Knowing that, there's certainly still meat on the bone there from a developmental perspective. — Charles Power, Rivals director of scouting and rankings P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N Armstrong threw for 2,200 yards and added 800 yards on the ground in leading Hopewell High to a 7-5 record and a playoff berth as a sophomore. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER