Defending Alabama state champion Jackson headlines Preseason Small Town Top 25 high school football rankings

Texas dominates the 2025 Preseason Small Town Top 25 high school football rankings, but Jackson (Ala.) begins the year ranked No. 1 with a team loaded with All-American candidates.

Jackson finished 14-1 last year and won the Class 4A state championship in Alabama. The team returns six players who earned all-state honors last year. The Aggies edge out Carthage (Texas), one of 10 Texas teams in the Small Town Top 25, for the top spot. The Bulldogs finished No. 1 in 2024, just ahead of Marion Local (Maria Stein, Ohio).

Teams are listed with last year's record, their preseason computer rating along with notable returning players from last year. Small Town Top 25 schools must have an enrollment of less than 1,000 students in towns with a population of less than 10,000. Preseason Small Town Top 25

1. Jackson (Ala.)
Coach: Cody Flournoy
2024 record: 14-1, Class 4A state champion
Preseason rating: 47.40
Notable returning players: QB Landon Duckworth, RB Ezavier Crowell, WR Keeyun Chapman, LB Laquon Whisenhunt, DB Jamarrion Gordon, DL Demetrius Wilson
Outlook: The Aggies won the Class 4A state championship last year by a score of 69-6 and coach Flournoy returns a ton of talent. Among the returnees is Crowell, ranked by MaxPreps as the Best Player in Alabama for the 2025 season. The Aggies also have the top quarterback in the state in Duckworth. Jackson returns three all-state players on defense.

2. Carthage (Texas)
Coach: Scott Surratt
2024 record: 15-1, Class 4A-II state champion
Preseason rating: 44.94
Notable returning players: QB Jett Surratt, RB K.J. Edwards, WR Junior Henderson, TE Cade Ross, RB Benny Smith, LB Carson Crawford, LB Qui Beck, DB Jay Lewis, DB Tylin Williams
Outlook: In 18 seasons, Surratt has won a state record 10 championships, including last year. He has also gone undefeated during the regular season eight times with four 16-0 seasons. The defense figures to be tremendous with four all-state players returning including two of the state's top linebackers in Crawford and Beck. Surratt also has his son Jett running the offense.

3. Louisville (Miss.)
Coach: Tyrone Shorter
2024 record: 13-2, Class 4A state runner-up
Preseason rating: 44.60
Notable returning players: RB Zaiden Jernigan, RB Xzarion Haynes
Outlook: The Wildcats missed winning a third straight state championship by one point in a 29-28 loss to Poplarville. Under Shorter, Louisville has won three state crowns and five district championships while sporting a 76-10 record. Jernigan earned all-state honors as a freshman and he is the top returning offensive player for the Wildcats.

4. Gunter (Texas)
Coach: Jordan Gill
2024 record: 14-2, Class 3A-I state champion
Preseason rating: 44.50
Notable returning players: RB Jay Campiti, LB Braeden McDaniel, DT Hayden Nelson, CB Parker Aleman 
Outlook: The Tigers have reached the playoffs 26 straight seasons, 18 of them under recently-retired coach Jake Fieszel, who finished his career with a 224-31 record. Gill takes over a program that has won three straight state championships and has had a 31 and 32-game win streak over the past 10 seasons. 

5. Malakoff (Texas)
Coach: Jamie Driskell
2024 record: 15-1, Class 3A-I state runner-up
Preseason rating: 42.90
Notable returning players: K Jacob Padron, DT Daniel Norrell, RB Jerrion Hall, LB Davion Johnson, DT Deairius Moore, P Cooper Stegall
Outlook: Prior to Driskell taking over in 2009, Malakoff had only two 10-win seasons in 85 seasons. Driskell turned around an 0-10 team to go 8-3 in his first season and has eight double-digit win seasons. He has a 173-36 record with a state championship and 16-0 record in 2023 and a 15-1 record and runner-up finish last year. A total of six all-district players return from last year.

6. Franklin (Texas)
Coach: Mark Fannin
2024 record: 10-3
Preseason rating: 42.80
Notable returning players: OL Logan Kilcrease, RB Walker Anderson, TE A.J. Phillips, OL Parker Januse, OL Jayce Johnson, DE Jackson Hutchinson, DE Camden Neel, LB R.J. Fulton, LB Bubba Jackson, S Ryan Smitherman
Outlook: In five seasons, Fannin is 68-8 with two state championships in 2021 and 2022. After dipping to 10-3 last year, Franklin returns 10 all-district players from last year including Kilcrease, an all-state pick and the league's lineman of the year.

7. Grundy Center (Iowa)
Coach: Travis Zajac
2024 record: 13-0, Class 1A state champion
Preseason rating: 42.20
Notable returning players: QB Judd Jirovsky, OL Ryder Stifer, UT Pete Lebo
Outlook: The Spartans have won at least 11 games in each of the past six years with three straight state championships and a 39-game unbeaten streak. Jirovsky returns after earning all-state honors and throwing for 2,181 yards and 25 touchdowns. He also rushed for 532 yards and 18 scores.

8. Brock (Texas)
Coach: Billy Mathis
2024 record: 13-2
Preseason rating: 42.0
Notable returning players: KR Colt Matlock, LB Jack Farhat, OL Waylon Winfrey, RB Bryer McDonald, DE Slade Mathis, S Braeden Ray
Outlook: In its 13 years of existence, Brock has never had a losing season and has an all-time record of 151-26-0. Mathis has gone 50-12 in his four seasons and returns six all-district players from last year. The Eagles figure to be a young club with four returning all-district players honored last year as freshmen.

9. Marion Local (Maria Stein, Ohio)
Coach: Tim Goodwin
2024 record: 16-0, Division VII state champion
Preseason rating: 41.81
Notable returning players: LB Cale Nagel, DE Oliver Huelsman
Outlook: The Flyers are 323-48 under Goodwin with a state record 14 state championships, including the last four in a row. Marion Local also has the nation's longest active win streak with an Ohio state record 64 in a row. Goodwin will be in the reloading phase this year as he must replace 14 all-conference players from last year's squad.

10. Columbus (Texas)
Coach: Matt Schobel
2024 record: 15-1, Class 3A-I state champion
Preseason rating: 41.70
Notable returning players: OL Keyon Hemphill-Woods, WR Braylon Fisher, LB Rylan Carruthers, LB Brody Vinklarek, LB, TE Cooper Osborne
Outlook: A former tight end with the Philadelphia Eagles, Schobel has restored Columbus to the success it had in the early 1990s when it went 78-16 from 1991-97. Schobel is 72-13 in his six seasons with the school's first state championship last year. While All-American Grayson Rigdon has graduated, four other all-state players return.

11. Hawthorne (Fla.)
Coach: Cornelius Ingram
2024 record: 10-2, Rural state-runner-up
Preseason rating: 41.20
Notable returning players: WR Darian Bowie, OL Zaraun Sesler, QB Richard Roundtree Jr., DB Nathan Jennings, DL Kyler Ingram, DB Kamari Debose
Outlook: The Hornets have reached the the state championship game every year since 2021, winning titles in 2022 and 2023. Ingram, a former NFL player with the Eagles, returns six players who earned all-area honors last year.

12. Gilmer (Texas)
Coach: Alan Metzel
2024 record: 8-4
Preseason rating: 41.20
Notable returning players: DL Tyler Hagler, RB Zade Taylor, DL Jet Bates, DL Trey Lee
Outlook: After winning a state championship in 2023, the Buckeyes slipped to 8-4 last year. Gilmer returns five all-district players from last year, including Hagler, an all-state lineman.

13. Bellville (Texas)
Coach: Grady Rowe
2024 record: 8-4
Preseason rating: 40.60
Notable returning players: RB Kendrick Turner, TE Layne Grawunder, OL Jakorey Lewis, DT Brogan Stoner, LB Adarius Hutchinson, DB Will Grebe, DB Don Gillum, RB Izak Hranicky, OL Jones Krampitz, LB Davin Sodolak
Outlook: After three straight undefeated regular seasons, Bellville dropped to 8-4 last year. Rowe had a young team, however, and returns 10 players who made the all-district team last season.

14. Bennington (Neb.)
Coach: Kam Lenhart
2024 record: 11-2, Class B state runner-up
Preseason rating: 39.30
Notable returning players: OL Charlie Swoboda, S Myles Gifford
Outlook: The Badgers had a 46-game win streak end last year but still reached the state final.

15. Wahoo (Neb.)
Coach: Chad Fox
2024 record: 13-0, Class C-1 state champion
Preseason rating: 38.90
Notable returning players: DL Eli Shada, QB Jase Kaminski, WR Landon Frye, RB Kip Brigham
Outlook: The Warriors won their second state championship in six seasons last year with a 13-0 record. Wahoo returns its top two offensive players from last year in Kaminski, with 1,602 yards passing, and Brigham, the third-leading rusher in the state last year.

16. Kirtland (Ohio)
Coach: Tiger LaVerde
2024 record: 15-1, Division VI state-runner-up
Preseason rating: 38.80
Notable returning players: QB Jake LaVerde, OL Luciano Cantini, DL Ty Bledsoe, RB/LB John Silvestro
Outlook: LaVerde has a record of 244-21 in his career at Kirtland (264-31 overall) with seven state championships and six runner-up finishes. Tiger will have his son Jake leading the way again in 2025. The all-state quarterback has thrown for 2,483 yards in his career and rushed for 2,129 yards.

17. Liberty Center (Ohio)
Coach: Casey Mohler
2024 record: 15-1
Preseason rating: 38.60, Division V state runner-up.
Notable returning players: RB Garrison Kruse, DL Hunter Spangler, RB Thomas Mohler, OL Kellen Wymer, OL Max Walker
Outlook: The Tigers are 90-16-2 under Mohler, who is just the second Liberty Center coach in 40 years after taking over from 32-year veteran Rex Lingruen in 2017. The Tigers have reached the state title game each of the past two seasons.

18. Wimberley (Texas)
Coach: Doug Warren
2024 record: 13-2
Preseason rating: 38.50
Notable returning players: K Bo Holeman, WR Jace Morales, OL Will Kellermann, RB Maverick Jacobs, NG Cody Phillips, DE Joshua Belanger, LB Luke German
Outlook: The Texans have won four straight district championships under Warren, reaching the state semifinals each of the past two seasons. 

19. Washington (Okla.)
Coach: Brad Beller
2024 record: 14-0, Class 2A-Division I state champion
Preseason rating: 38.40
Notable returning players: QB Creed Barrett, LB Blake Heiliger, LB Case Alexander
Outlook: The Warriors have won three straight state championships and have a 44-game win streak heading into the 2025 season. Washington is led by one of the nation's top sophomore quarterbacks in Barrett, who threw for 3,315 yards as an all-state freshman.

20. Bowdon (Ga.)
Coach: Rich Fendley
2024 record: 13-2, Class A-Division 2 state champion
Preseason rating: 37.40
Notable returning players: TE Kaiden Prothro, TE Jonah Wilson, OL Stewart Powell, DL Marcus Harper, DB Berkley Perkins
Outlook: Bowdon returns one of the nation's top all-around athletes in Prothro, who earned state player of the year honors as a junior. He caught 56 passes for 1,203 yards and 22 touchdowns. The Red Devils have won three straight state championships.

21. Cuero (Texas)
Coach: Jarod Fikac
2024 record: 9-4
Preseason rating: 35.20
Notable returning players: WR Walker Dietze, QB Jayce Guajardo, DB Jossiah Taylor, OL Jayden Winfield, S Aiden Strecker, FB Landon Pelot, OL Johnathan Perez, OL Tanner Lucas
Outlook: One of the all-time winningest programs in the state with 782 all-time victories, Cuero dropped to 9-4 last year after double-digit wins in the previous three seasons. The Gobblers figure to be loaded this year, however, with seven returning all-district players.

22. South Range (Canfield, Ohio)
Coach: David Rach
2024 record: 14-1
Preseason rating: 35.0
Notable returning players: P Jason Vorshak
Outlook: The Raiders have won five straight Northeast 8 championships and won a state crown three years ago with a 16-0 record.

23. Ashland-Greenwood (Ashland, Neb.)
Coach: Ryan Thompson
2024 record: 9-2
Preseason rating: 34.80
Notable returning players: QB Derek Tonjes, WR Cal Kissinger, RB Cael Smith, OL Barrett Kitrell, QB Landon Mohs
Outlook: Tonjes threw for 2,125 yards last year and returns after earning all-state honorable mention. Smith also returns after rushing for 1,134 yards and 15 touchdowns.

24. Noxubee County (Macon, Miss.)
Coach: Teddy Young
2024 record: 11-3
Preseason rating: 34.50
Notable returning players: LB Donvon Conner, RB Laderoun Mosely, LB B.J. Payton, DB Jadien Taylor
Outlook: The Tigers are 58-25 under Young since 2019. Noxubee won the district championship last year and return the top three all-state defenders from last year.

25. Coldwater (Ohio)
Coach: Chip Otten
2024 record: 15-1, Division VI state champion
Preseason rating: 34.30
Notable returning players: K Bryce Couchot, WR Cadin Obringer, OL Rudy Kremer
Outlook: Otten has a record of 208-65 and won a state championship last year, Coldwater's eighth all-time. The only loss last year was to Marion Local.