Baxter’s Blitz: 5 to watch as spring football practice nears

AS WE MOVE within two weeks of spring football practice, here are more Five on the Rise players who caught our attention:

Avery Armstrong, QB, Dreher Armstrong enters his third year as a starter for the Blue Devils and is one of the top signal callers in the Midlands. He’s 6-foot-1, 185 pounds and very athletic, making him a dual threat quarterback. He threw for more than 1,500 yards and rushed for 940 with a total of 29 touchdowns as a junior.

Cole Armstrong, OL, Lugoff-Elgin Armstrong has played both sides of the football for River Bluff but will be transferring to the Demons this year. He is growing into a strong offensive tackle at 6-3, 230 and has excellent feet, turning in a 4.88 40 at a recent combine event.

K.J. Chamberlain, DB, Emerald At 6-2, 190, he plays more like a linebacker roving the secondary from his safety position. He’s physical with receivers and separates them from the ball. Finished with 14 interceptions as a junior.

Raqwon Niles, OL, Richland Northeast A big man in the trenches for the Cavs. At 6-4, 285, graded out at 88 percent as a junior with 13 knockdowns and 17 pancakes. Has generated FCS interest.

Garrett Reinhart, LB, Chapin A physical inside linebacker who comes downhill and is physical in tackling. He finished 2014 with 122 tackles, 11 for loss, and four sacks. He’s got good footwork, and at 6-1, 220 has a strong, sturdy frame to anchor the middle.

This story was originally published April 20, 2015 at 12:06 AM with the headline "Baxter’s Blitz: 5 to watch as spring football practice nears."