ESPN announces High School Football Kickoff featuring three MaxPreps Top 25 matchups

Six games are slated for the ESPN High School Football Kickoff during a two-week stretch from Aug. 16-25, including seven teams ranked in the Preseason MaxPreps Top 25. Three games will feature ranked teams going head-to-head and all 12 participating teams are included in our expanded preseason top 100.

Read on for the complete game schedule and capsules of each contest. All times Eastern. Aug. 16

Matchup: This game features some of the best talent in the Peach State led by four-star quarterback Julian Lewis of Carrollton. The 2025 USC commit has thrown for 7,212 yards and 96 touchdowns over the last two seasons. Shamar Arnoux, Dorian Barney, Kai Callen, Zion Cooley, C.J. Gamble, Zykie Helton, Zelus Hicks and Ryan Mosley round out the talent for one of the favorites to win the AAAAAA state title. Josiah Abdullah, Jerome Bettis Jr., R.J. Harrison and Landon Walker are all back for Woodward Academy, last year's AAAAAA state runner-up.

Matchup: Both teams begin the season just outside of the MaxPrep Top 25. Thompson checks in at No. 27 while the Rams are No. 36. Last year's National Freshman of the Year — Trent Seaborn — headlines the talent returning for the Warriors. Five-star Jared Smith and recent Auburn pledge Anquon Fegans help give head coach Mark Freeman a stacked team as they go for a fifth state title over the last six years. Grayson returns plenty of key players after making it to the AAAAAAA semifinals led by five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson.

Matchup: The first of three MaxPreps Top 25 matchups features two elite programs. Milton dropped two of its first five games last season, then ran the table winning the AAAAAAA state title. The Eagles return plenty of talent led by four-star quarterback Luke Nickel (Miami), four-star wide receiver C.J. Wiley (Florida State) and also added four-star tight end Ethan Barbour (Georgia). Dia Bell, Brandon Bennett, Byron Louis, Xavier Thomas and Malachi Toney are among the standout players for American Heritage. The game will be played at Brian Piccolo Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.

Matchup: The only other time these two powerhouse schools faced each other was in 2016 when Bishop Gorman escaped with a 25-24 win in triple overtime. Gorman went on to finish that season as the No. 1 team in the MaxPreps Top 25, which it also did last year. The Gaels have 19 players rated as a three-star recruit or higher and will have one of the best offensive lines in the country led by S.J. Alofaituli (Miami), Alai Kalaniuvalu (Oregon) and Douglas Utu (Tennessee). Aquinas became the first team in state history to win five consecutive state titles last season. Four-star cornerback Justice Fitzpatrick headlines the talent for Roger Harriott.

Matchup: Anytime you get a matchup between marquee programs from California and Florida, it is must-see television. Bosco is the only team in the country that has finished ranked in the MaxPreps Top 25 every year since 2013. Chaminade-Madonna has made it to the state championship game the last eight seasons and won it all in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023. Both teams have to replace some key players but still bring back plenty of talent to compete for the 2024 MaxPreps National Championship.

Matchup: This will be the fourth consecutive year these two square off. Rabun Gap snapped a two-game skid against the Red Raiders with a 35-24 win last season. The Eagles are loaded again with Walker Bryson, Antoine Deslauriers, Thomas Dumais, Justin Hasenhuetl, Terry Nwabuisi-Ezeala, Gavin Owens, Marshall Pritchett, Anthony Quinn Jr. and Patrick Williams. Baylor, last year's Division II Class AAA state runner-up, returns key players in Jimmy Bryson, Briggs Cherry, Joakim Dodson, Joel Lowenberg, Shekai Mills-Knight, Gabriel Osenda and Cameron Sparks.