2026 Virginia Preseason MaxPreps Top 25 high school football rankings

Varina looks to build off of state championship momentum from 2025.

By
Aug 3, 2026, 12:00pm
After claiming its second state championship since 2021, Varina (Richmond) enters 2026 as the top-ranked team in the state of Virginia.

The Blue Devils finished a 13-2 campaign with a resounding 47-0 victory over Loudoun County (Leesburg) in the VHSL Class 4 final a year ago.

For 2026, Varina will be led by a pair of Virginia commits in wide receiver Markus Lee and cornerback Sa Rex. Raymond Hudson is also among the top edge rushers in the nation and is headed to Clemson.

Among the top-rated talent coming out of the Old Dominion is LSU-bound edge rusher Chris Whitehead of L.C. Bird (Chesterfield), a top-10 recruit at his position for 2027. Other prospects to watch from Virginia include tackle Elijah Hutcheson of Roanoke Catholic (Roanoke) (Florida), linebacker Noah Glover of Battlefield (Haymarket) (Miami), safety Kenaz Sullivan of The St. James Performance Academy (Springfield) (Maryland) and lineman Ethan Lawson of Rye Cove (Clinchport) (West Virginia).

Reigning Virginia state champions include Rappahannock (Warsaw) in Class 1, Strasburg in Class 2, Lake Taylor (Norfolk) in Class 3, Varina in Class 4, Maury (Norfolk) in Class 5, Oscar Smith (Chesapeake) in Class 6, Benedictine (Richmond) in VISAA I, North Cross (Roanoke) in VISAA II, Chincoteague in VISFL I and Brunswick Academy (Lawrenceville) in VISFL II.
Shown during his junior season at North Stafford, Maryland commit Kenaz Sullivan brings his four-star rating to The St. James School for his senior year. (PHOTO: David Buky)
Shown during his junior season at North Stafford, Maryland commit Kenaz Sullivan brings his four-star rating to The St. James School for his senior year. (PHOTO: David Buky)
MaxPreps Preseason Virginia Top 25
1. Varina (Richmond), 13-2 in 2025
2. Maury (Norfolk), 14-1
4. Benedictine (Richmond), 11-1
5. Highland Springs, 11-4
6. Trinity Episcopal (Richmond), 9-2
7. St. Christopher's (Richmond), 7-4
8. Liberty Christian (Lynchburg), 10-3
9. Stone Bridge (Ashburn), 10-2
10. North Stafford (Stafford), 11-4
11. Dinwiddie, 11-1
12. Colonial Forge (Stafford), 10-2
13. James Madison (Vienna), 9-5
14. Riverbend (Fredericksburg), 11-1
15. Jefferson Forest (Forest), 11-3
16. Heritage (Lynchburg), 11-2
17. Woodberry Forest, 7-2
18. Phoebus (Hampton), 8-4
19. Hermitage (Richmond), 10-3
20. King's Fork (Suffolk), 11-2
21. Fleming (Roanoke), 8-4
22. Thomas Dale (Chester), 10-2
23. North Cross (Roanoke), 10-2
24. Huguenot (Richmond), 11-2
25. Strasburg, 13-1

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