Baker is a scouting favorite of mine. He’s a two-way player who plays every snap like his hair is on fire. He’s starting to get some recruiting interest after multiple strong years on the field. He returns after leading the team in tackles last season, and also had a handful of successful carries at running back. He’s a team leader, and a guy who will have a huge impact.

Chris may not be a name you know because there are a lot of talented linebackers in North Carolina, but the physicality combined with the speed Chris shows on film is why I’ve got him as a candidate for this 704 Junior Bowl team. This past season, Chris had 85 Tackles (60 solo) and 15 tackles for loss. Add a 4.4 GPA on top of that, and you’ve got a complete package kind of player right in front of you. Chris can shed blocks from linemen and backs well on the interior of the defense. And then, Chris can line up on the edge and be disruptive in the backfield there as well. That kind of versatility is important on defense, and Chris excels in both of those areas.

Baker has flown a bit under the radar, but he’s a steady riser for us. Usually, rankings risers improve either on the field or athletically off of it, but he’s steadily improved both, gaining some weight while becoming a more consistent run-stopper for Forest Hills. He’s at his best as a downhill run-stopper, but he has great speed and projects to be strong in pass coverage as he continues to develop.

A guy who probably should already be well within the rankings (Don’t worry, we’ll have him safely ranked at the next update) Baker has two-way upside, but thrives as a hard-hitting middle linebacker. Baker racked up 26 solo stops as a sophomore on varsity, adding half a sack and a fumble recovery. He has excellent closing speed and the abilities to chase both sideline-to-sideline and downhill.