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High school football rankings: Expanding the Preseason MaxPreps Top 25 all the way to 100

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No. 1 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, California) Our look at the top 100 high school football teams in the country ahead of the 2026 season, which begins in Hawaii in 23 days.

Alabama, Arizona, New Jersey, Ohio and Tennessee were the only other states to field at least four teams.

The Braves start the season in first place for the third time since 2018.

Brent Browner led the Gaels to a 62-4 record as he enters his seventh season as head coach.

The Panthers have finished ranked in the top 10 in all but one season since 2017.

The Rookies have 27 players rated as three-star recruits or higher.

Carson Palmer led the Eagles to their first state title since 2011 in his first season as head coach and looks to do so again in 2026.

The Wolves became the first Georgia team to be crowned MaxPreps national champions last season and are tested early against No. 38 Gainesville, No. 35 Central and No. 13 Grayson through the first five weeks.

The Inland Empire powerhouse returns a lot of key players and added one of the best quarterback/wide receiver duos in the state Jaden Jefferson and Quentin Hill From the Cathedral (Los Angeles).

The Kings have finished ranked in the top 10 every season since 2016.

The Panthers have made six state championship appearances over the past eight years and will be in the mix again in 2026.

Last year’s MaxPreps National Player of the Year is back as a five-star prospect David Gabriel George Baylor is also looking to repeat as Division II Class AAA state champions.

Greg Carswell takes over as head coach and will have a roster full of players in his first season.

The defending Open Division state champions have won at least 10 games in each of the past five seasons.

Five-star midfielder Neiman Lawrence He comes from Northwestern (Miami) and should make a big impact on the back-to-back Class 4A state champions.

The Eagles have gone 27-2 over the past two seasons and will have one of the most complete teams in the Lone Star State.

Travis Dixon led the Huskies to a 21-3 record during his first two years as head coach and has his best team yet heading into 2026.

The defending Class 8A state champions are coming off a 14-0 campaign and the school’s first state title.

They finished 15-0 last season and outscored the opposition 845-125.

Will Minkel and Jay Jones They are one of the best quarterback/wide receiver duos in the country and both are back after leading the Wolves to their first Open Division state tournament appearance since 2021.

The back-to-back Class 6A state champions have gone 27-1 over the past two years.

Four-star quarterback Trent Seaborn The Warriors’ returning talent is at the forefront as they push for their seventh state title in the past eight years.
The defending non-public state champions return plenty of talent led by a five-star linebacker Gray spelled.

The defending Class 6A Division 1 state champions have gone 43-4 under Willie Gaston since he took over as head coach in 2023.

The back-to-back WCAC champions will have a good chance to win the three thanks to a solid defense led by James Pace III.
Jett Harrison He is one of the best wide receivers in the country regardless of class and the Hawks should compete to win their 10th state title since 2013.
Sarod Baker He rushed for 1,619 yards and 21 touchdowns in the playoffs alone last year and will be a key contributor to the 6A Division 2 state champions.

Justin Rogers has led the Yellowjackets to a 53-3 record and two state titles since taking over as head coach in 2022.

The Rockets will be tested early with two huge out-of-state showdowns at Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.) and No. 7 Buford (Ga.).

Jason Todd led the Golden Bears to five straight state title games, winning them all in 2021, 2022 and 2025.

Santa Fe Bryant led Grayson to a state title in 2024 and looks to do the same with a talented Red Elephants team led by the Clemson-bound quarterback Karim Al-Haghli.

The Crusaders’ four-year run of state titles ended last season but they expect to be back in the mix in 2026.

The Bulls have won back-to-back state titles and gone 28-2 over the past two years.

Brody Rudnicki He accounted for more than 300 yards of total offense and six touchdowns in last year’s Division 1-AA state championship game, leading the Bulldogs’ returning talent.

Bobby Bentley is a proven coach, leading the Wildcats to their first state title in 22 years last season.

The Shamrocks are coming off their first undefeated season since 2009 and return several key players led by Gideon Gash.

The Flyers come out of the gate with tough matchups against No. 37 Mount Carmel, No. 16 American Heritage and No. 37 Gainesville (Ga.).

The Spartans have the second-longest active state title streak entering the 2026 season, winners of eight in a row.

Four-star athlete Bretton Pfister She will be a big plus after making the freshman, sophomore and junior All-America teams the past three years at Archbishop Hoban (Akron).

Casey Sutera takes over as head coach as he looks to lead the Chargers to their seventh state title since 2018.

The Indians have won at least 11 games for the first time since 2009 and don’t expect to let up this season.

Five-star starter safety Casey Barner He leads the talent returning after a 10-1 season.

Stuart Floyd led the Cougars to a 15-0 season in his first year as head coach and the Class 6A state title.

The Raptors have gone 29-2 over the past two years and are looking to return to the state championship for the third year in a row.

It has gone 33-8 over the past three years and has reached at least the Class 6A quarterfinals in all three seasons.

The Bearcats have won at least 12 games every season since 2013.

The Cougars lose a talented group to graduation but expect the Cougars to remain favorites to win a three-peat in the Division I selection.

The Panthers made their first-ever appearance in the state title game last season and will be back in the mix in 2026.

Kevin Creasey led the Patriots to a 150-11 record during his 11-year tenure with six state titles (2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025).

Ray Fenton takes over as head coach and will face one of the toughest schedules in the country with matchups against eight teams in the top 100.

The Whirlies have gone 44-1 over the past three years and won back-to-back state titles.

The three-time defending Class 6A state champions will be tested early with four out-of-state matchups against Anderson (Cincinnati, Ohio), Christian Brothers (St. Louis, Mo.), Archbishop Mueller (Cincinnati, Ohio) and No. 12 Baylor.

Cody Flournoy takes over as head coach after leading Jackson to back-to-back Class 4A state titles.

The Bruins have dominated in-state competition by winning six Class 5A state championships since 2019.

Five-star midfielder Donald Tabron II He led the Detroit Power to back-to-back Division I state title appearances.
Five-star midfielder Trey Taylor And a three-star wide receiver Antipheus Ellis He transferred to Millard South and should have them in position to win a third straight Class A state title.
Expect a big year from the rookie quarterback Louis Fortier As the Blue Tornado looks to build on its streak of five state titles from 2019.

The Friars hired Rick Garretson in February and expect him to make a big impact at his alma mater.

The defending Class 2A state champions should be in the mix to compete for the inaugural state Open Division playoff bracket that will feature the top eight teams in the FHSAA.

Chad Greer has led the Chargers to four state titles over the past five years and had successful stints at Davidson Day (Charlotte, NC) and Oceanside Collegiate Academy (Mt. Pleasant, SC) before taking over at Providence Day in 2020.

The Eagles have reached the semifinals in each of the past five years and won it all in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Quade Sanders has done nothing but win since taking over as head coach in 2023, leading the Hornets to a 36-2 record and back-to-back Class 7A state titles.

Back-to-back Section 5A state champions re-pledge Texas Ty Knutson Under the center.

The Bulldogs return several key players following a AAAAAA semifinal appearance in 2025.

Tom Knotts has led the Silver Foxes to a 190-28-1 record and 10 state titles since taking over as head coach in 2010.

The Dreadnaughts have played in four straight state championships and should be in the mix to make the inaugural FHSAA Open Sectional playoffs.

Doug Ramsey has 235 career wins as he prepares for his 30th season as a head coach.

Five-star USC commit Honoring Valavi Johnson He impacts the game on both sides of the ball as much as any player in the country.

The Purple Knights return a lot of key pieces after making their first appearance in a state title game in 46 years.

The Eagles are on a 30-game winning streak after posting back-to-back unbeaten seasons.

The Rams should have one of the most talented teams in the Peach State led by a four-star junior Kevin Hartsfield.
Five-star running back Landon Williams Callis He rushed for 7,554 yards and 125 touchdowns over the past three years while leading the Lions to a 42-3 record.
The Spartans have played in the last four Class 6A state championship games and will have a good shot at five in a row Jamison Roberts At quarterback.
Carter Zingleman He is one of the highest-rated quarterbacks in the 2028 class and the Cowboys should compete for a deep playoff run.
The Bulldogs are coming off their best season since 2009 and will be in the thick of things again Tyge Moore Leading the charge.
San Diego State Pledge Isaiah Phelps He compiled 500 tackles while rushing for over 1,700 yards and 18 touchdowns as he prepares for a big senior campaign.

After two consecutive Open Division titles in 2023 and 2024, the Lions are looking to return to the championship game after a 19-16 loss to Al Basha in the semi-finals.

Seneca driver Talent takes the lead as the Rebels seek their sixth state title since 2020.

Don’t expect a downturn from the four-time defending state champions as Robert Green takes over as head coach after spending the last 12 years coaching at Navy.

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