IMG Academy, Mater Dei, North Shore, Grayson lead way in gridiron hotbeds of Florida, California, Texas and Georgia.
Video: Preseason Top 25 rankings A breakdown of No. 1 IMG Academy.
We released our
preseason Top 25 and
Top 100 rankings last week. Up next, we go state by state and select the top team entering the 2020 high school football season.
Twenty-five of the teams representing their respective state were also featured in the Top 100 preseason rankings.
Warriors captured first state title since 1982 last season and return key players led by 2022 Alabama commit
Jeremiah Alexander.
Stars won their eighth consecutive state title in 2019, the longest active streak in high school football.
Have won 26 straight games heading into the season, including the inaugural Arizona Open Division title last season. The Wolves own four consecutive state titles and five of the last six.
The back-to-back 7A state champs have won 17 games in a row and return the talent to three-peat in 2020.
Bruce Rollinson's squad begins the year as the No. 2 team in our preseason Top 25 rankings.
The lone team from the Centennial State in our preseason Top 100 ran the table last season and won the 5A state title. Multi-sport standout
Julian Hammond is back under center and one of many key returners.
Jack Wallace was named Connecticut's Gatorade Football Player of the Year last season and he's back at quarterback for the defending Class L champs.
Finished last season undefeated, winning every game by double digits.
CJ Henry took home the state's Gatorade Football Player of the Year award and should have a huge senior season in 2020.
The Cadets have won the WCAC regular season title three consecutive seasons and begin the year ranked at No. 19.
Bobby Acosta begins his first year as head coach with one of the most talented squads in high school football. The No. 1 team in our preseason Top 25 has seven players rated in the Top 300 for the Class of 2021 and nine from the Class of 2022.
The Crusaders have won four consecutive state titles and haven't lost to an in-state opponent since 2016.
The 5A runners-up return key pieces led by starting quarterback
Jack Prka. He accounted for nearly 4,000 yards of total offense and 39 touchdowns as a junior.
2021 Missouri commit
Tyler Macon is back under center for the defending 6A state champs. He threw for over 4,200 yards and added another 800-plus yards rushing to go with 57 total touchdowns.
The 6A runners-up were young last season and return the talent to win a first state championship since 2015.
Own the second-longest active state title streak after winning a seventh crown last season.
Enter the season winners of 26 straight with back-to-back 6A state titles.
The defending Division 1 champs must replace key players but return starting quarterback
Kyle Wickersham and 3-star running back
Logan Diggs.
We released our
top player in each state article in March and the Hornets'
Wyatt Hathaway was selected for Maine. He's back under center for the defending Class C champs after accounting for over 2,500 yards of total offense and 30 touchdowns in 2019.
They've gone 34-1 over the last three seasons and will be in contention to finish 2020 as the No. 1 team in the country.
Repeated as Division 3 state champs in 2019. A name to keep tabs on is Class of 2023 quarterback
William Watson III. He accounted for over 2,500 total yards of offense and 38 touchdowns as a freshman.
Won the school's first football state title last season beating Muskegon 30-7 in the Division 3 championship. 2021 Western Michigan commit
Mareyohn Hrabowski is back under center and will have the Panthers in contention to go back-to-back.
Ran the table in 2019 and won the state title in the largest classification. Lost key pieces but return one of the top offensive lines in Minnesota led by 3-star
Tyler Magnuson.
After a semifinal finish last season expect the Yellowjackets to be in the hunt to win a first state championship since 2015. 2021 Florida State commit
Luke Altmyer and 2021 Mississippi State
Amariyon Howard are both back.
Robert Steeples has done a remarkable job as head coach and turned the Spartans into one of the top programs in the country. The defending Class 6 state champs check in at No. 13 in our preseason Top 25 rankings.
Carson Hunter is back at quarterback for the defending Class A champs and should have them in position to repeat in 2020.
Ran the table last season and won the Class A state title.
Keagan Johnson is one of the best two-way players in the country and should have the Thunderbirds in position to go back-to-back.
Won the school's first football state title since 1998 last season. Finished the year undefeated and beat Exeter 21-10 in the Division 1 championship. Won every game by double digits in 2019.
One of the three teams from New Jersey in the preseason Top 100 takes home the No. 1 spot in the state after winning the Non Public Group 4 championship in 2019.
Tahj Bullock,
KJ Miles and
George Rooks all return for a chance at repeating in one of the toughest playoff brackets in the country.
The defending PSAL city champs will have one of the best defenses in the country this season led by 2021 Texas A&M commit
Jahzion Harris.
The Cougars won their first state championship in 2019 and will be in contention to repeat as 4AA champs with 2021 North Carolina commit
Power Echols back along with starting quarterback
Austin Grier.
Won a third 3A state title last season over a five-year span and bring back the talent to go back-to-back in 2020.
Replacing
Demeatric Crenshaw at quarterback will be near impossible but the defending Division 1 champs will have one of the most talented teams in the state led by 2021 Notre Dame commit
Lorenzo Styles Jr.
The Spartans will be the heavy favorites to win a third consecutive state title with starting quarterback
Mason Williams back along with Class of 2022 standout
Braylin Presley. They begin the season riding a 25-game winning streak.
After being upset in the second round of the 6A playoffs last season expect the Tigers to be one of the favorites this year especially with
Drew Carter back under center.
Enter 2020 as winners of two consecutive Division 1 state championships. They haven't lost to an in-state opponent since 2017.
Have won four consecutive state championships with their last loss coming in 2017.
After two straight runner-up finishes in 2017 and 2018, they won the 11B state title last season finishing 12-0.
The only team from Utah to crack the preseason Top 100 has won 26 straight games and back-to-back state titles entering the 2020 season.
After winning the Division II championship in 2018 they answered that with a Division I state title this past season.
The back-to-back 3A state champs have a bunch of talent returning led by 5-star defensive lineman
J.T. Tuimoloau.
Winners of 56 consecutive games and brought home its fourth consecutive state title in 2019.
Have won 28 consecutive games and two straight Division 1 state titles. The reigning Wisconsin Gatorade Football Player of the Year
Alex Current and 2021 Wisconsin commit
Hunter Wohler are both back to give them a great opportunity at a three-peat.
Enter the 2020 campaign winners of 21 straight with four state titles over the last five years.
Corner Canyon celebrates its 2019 state title.
File photo by Kevin Lee
