The nation's top-ranked prospect Bryce Underwood looks to guide Tigers to third state title in four years.
The high school football season in Michigan kicks off next
week and MaxPreps has your look at the state's top teams. Following a run to the Division 1 state championship game,
Belleville owns the
No. 1 spot in the Preseason MaxPreps Top 25.
It's been a golden era for Belleville behind senior quarterback
Bryce Underwood, regarded as the nation's top prospect by
247Sports and headed to LSU next year. The Tigers won state titles in 2021 and 2022 before seeing a 38-game win streak snapped in last year's state championship game, a 36-32 loss to
Southfield Arts & Tech (Southfield).
In addition to Underwood, Belleville will lean on seniors
Elijah Dotson (6-2, 175, S, Pittsburgh commitment),
Lamar Fairfax (6-2, 250, DL, Ohio),
Rashad Jones (6-4, 240, DL, Purdue),
Andre Thomas (6-1, 205, RB/LB, Central Michigan),
Antwon Thomas (5-11, 160, WR, Miami-Ohio) and
Adrian Walker Jr. (5-10, 180, CB/WR, Miami-Ohio).
Underwood is 1,637 yards shy of breaking the state's all-time passing record. The senior signal caller owns a 40-2 career record as a starter and threw for 3,165 yards and 40 touchdowns against just two interceptions last season.
The Preseason
MaxPreps Top 25 is a composite of the
Preseason Top 100 and computer
rankings factoring in past results and adjustments such as returners
and statistical data when available.
Michigan Preseason MaxPreps Top 25
1.
Belleville, 13-1 record in 2023
2.
Muskegon, 12-2
3.
Rockford, 11-1
4.
Lake Orion, 10-1
5.
Harper Woods, 11-3
6.
Catholic Central (Grand Rapids), 13-1
7.
West Catholic (Grand Rapids), 11-1
8.
Cass Tech (Detroit), 7-4
9.
Forest Hills Central (Grand Rapids), 13-1
10.
Notre Dame Prep (Pontiac), 9-1
11.
De La Salle Collegiate (Warren), 11-3
12.
Corunna, 13-1
13.
Goodrich, 11-2
14.
Davison, 12-1
15.
West Bloomfield, 10-3
16.
Southfield Arts & Tech (Southfield), 13-1
17.
Zeeland West (Zeeland), 9-4
18.
Kingsley, 12-2
19.
Saline, 9-2
20.
Grandville, 8-3
21.
Clarkston, 6-6
22.
Portland, 12-1
23.
Reeths-Puffer (Muskegon), 7-3
24.
Catholic Central (Novi), 8-3
