James Armstrong Showing Growth, Potential as One of Top 2028 QBs

FOX CHAPEL, Pa. — When Hopewell quarterback James Armstrong attended the 2Tenths Top 150 camp prior to playing a snap of high school football in 2024, he flew under the radar.

This year, it was a lot different for the 2028 prospect. The big lefty signal caller went to camp with a Power Four offer from Pitt and was standing out among the underclassmen on the field.

“Last year, when I came to the camp, I feel like I was just tagging along,” Armstrong told Pittsburgh Sports Now. “I wasn’t really one of the main guys there. I was kind of just there, not talking a lot and not getting a lot of reps. This time, I feel like me and a couple of other guys we were the main people that people were looking at. It’s a lot different now because I’m one of the top people everywhere I go.”

As the day progressed, Armstrong worked on his footwork, accuracy and dialing up passes in one-on-one situations and seven-on-seven.

“I feel like I did pretty well. I feel like I showed good work. I could’ve done better on timing of my routes,” Armstrong said.

Hopewell 2028 QB James Armstrong throwing at the @210ths camp.

He’s one of the top signal callers in his class in the WPIAL.

Offers: Pitt, Akron, Sacramento State, Delaware State pic.twitter.com/8v2EAGwQQj

— Nathan Breisinger (@NateBreisinger) June 29, 2025

Watching closely on every rep, 2Tenths quarterback and development coach Mike McMahon sees the potential in Armstrong to be a promising prospect over the next few years.

“He’s big and raw,” McMahon said. “He’s got some athletic ability. I saw him play against North Catholic last year and he did a great job. He’s big, strong, athletic kid. He can throw on the run very well. When you see him in person, he does throw the ball better. I think he throws the ball better in a game situation than he does in this situation. I do think he has some talent. He got to clean some things up a little bit. He’s got some potential.”

Out of all the qualities that Armstrong possesses, it’s his size that’s the most intriguing as he stands at 6-3, 210-pounds and is a dual-threat quarterback.

“The first thing that stands out is his size. He’s a big kid. He runs the ball extremely well. He’s a tough kid. It’s hard to bring him down,” McMahon said.

While Armstrong relies on his mobility, he’s working more on his accuracy and arm strength this offseason. At the 2Tenths camp, he was often talking with 2028 Seton LaSalle quarterback Anthony Smith on different tips he can add to his repertoire.

“I really just like to hear a lot of different opinions about being a quarterback in general because there’s not one set in stone thing or one thing that’s meant for all. Like Anthony Smith, he’s more of a passing quarterback. I’m more of a running quarterback, so I want to hear from him and I’m sure he wants to hear from me about how we like to do things so we can incorporate each other’s games into Friday night,” Armstrong said.

Hopewell 2028 QB James Armstrong at the 2Tenths Top 150 Camp. June 29, 2025 — Nathan Breisinger / PSN

The same goes for any coaches he works with, including McMahon.

“Hearing from Coach McMahon, I like hearing from a lot of quarterback coaches,” he said. “I was just working out with Coach Ray Isaac with the Sniper School and hearing the different things trying to see what works for me because I know that everything that someone teaches me isn’t going to be the same that I like to do, but I just like hearing what they have to say about me to get better.”

It’s been quite the year overall for Armstrong after fulfilling the starting quarterback role at Hopewell as a freshman where he tossed for 1,344 and 10 touchdowns, along with 787 rushing yards and 15 scores on the ground. Since the conclusion of the season, he’s added offers from Pitt, Akron, Sacramento State and Delaware State.

“It really just boosts your confidence up a little bit,” Armstrong said about his status picking up. “It puts a chip on my shoulder because I know eyes are going to be looking at me. I can help out my teammates by showing their greatness and then the coaches will be on them too. It just makes me feel good to help out my teammates and help out myself.”

As camp season has come to a close, Armstrong now looks towards the remainder of the offseason as time to improve on specific areas of his game.

“I really just want to be a better passer and be better at timing up my routes and reading defenses because that’s a big thing. I have a good arm, I can throw any ball on the field, but I want to make sure that I can be a true quarterback that I don’t just run,” he said.

With eyes on his sophomore season, it also means more of an opportunity to check out schools he is interested in, including a return trip to Pitt, along with new stops at programs like Penn State, Indiana, Duke and others.

“I’m going to be worrying about that a lot more this year,” Armstrong said. “Going into my ninth-grade year and coming out, I wasn’t worried about that. I was worried about getting better.

“I want to get out, see places and get more connections.”