
Miami Central landed at No. 1 in two national polls, and that has propelled the Rockets to the top spot in our inaugural Top 25 Composite Rankings.
Photo by Stuart Browning
Updated on August 18: Two more polls were added to the list. Student Sports released its Fab 50 on August 16. The MaxPreps Computer rankings went final on August 15.We have sorted through the prominent preseason polls to come up with what will be a new weekly feature on MaxPreps, called The MaxPreps Top 25 Composite Rankings.
We will look at national media outlets that have produced rankings for more than five years and average out the rankings between them to come up with the composite rankings.
The MaxPreps
Preseason Top 25 early contenders started the national polls back in early June, and since then three other outlets,
PrepNation on Aug. 5 and
USA Today and
Rivals on Aug. 8, have concluded their searches for the teams they think will be the best in the nation this season.
In order to be included, a team had to land in at least two of the national polls. If it did not land in all four, the team will be given a 40 to weigh into its average.
MaxPreps Top 25 Football Composite Rankings1. Central (Miami) - Full Team PreviewAverage rank: 2.75
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 2
PrepNation: 1
USA Today: 7
Rivals: 1
Student Sports: 1
MaxPreps Computer: 1
2. Allen (Texas) - Full previewAverage rank: 5
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 4
PrepNation: 3
USA Today: 5
Rivals: 8
Student Sports: 5
MaxPreps Computer: 5
3. Booker T. Washington (Miami) - Full previewAverage rank: 5.17
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 9
PrepNation: 4
USA Today: 1
Rivals: 4
Student Sports: 6
MaxPreps Computer: 7
4. De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) - Full previewAverage rank: 5.67
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 1
PrepNation: 2
USA Today: 8
Rivals: 11
Student Sports: 4
MaxPreps Computer: 8
5. Norcross (Ga.) - Full previewAverage rank: 6.67
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 3
PrepNation: 6
USA Today: 6
Rivals: 5
Student Sports: 2
MaxPreps Computer: 18
6. St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) - Full previewAverage rank: 8.33
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 6
PrepNation: 14
USA Today: 13
Rivals: 2
Student Sports: 11
MaxPreps Computer: 4
7. Serra (Gardena, Calif.) - Full previewAverage rank: 11.17
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 11
PrepNation: 22
USA Today: 10
Rivals: 7
Student Sports: 15
MaxPreps Computer: 2
8. Curtis (River Ridge, La.) - Full previewAverage rank: 11.67
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 8
PrepNation: 10
USA Today: 3
Rivals: 6
Student Sports: 3
MaxPreps Computer: NR
9. Centennial (Corona, Calif.) - Full previewAverage rank: 14.5
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 10
PrepNation: 7
USA Today: 16
Rivals: NR
Student Sports: 8
MaxPreps Computer: 6
10. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) - Full previewAverage rank: 15.17
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 16
PrepNation: 5
USA Today: 11
Rivals: 9
Student Sports: 10
MaxPreps Computer: NR
11. Katy (Texas) - Full previewAverage rank: 17
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 12
PrepNation: 9
USA Today: 9
Rivals: 14
Student Sports: 18
MaxPreps Computer: NR
12. Karr (New Orleans) - Full previewAverage rank: 17.5
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 7
PrepNation: 8
USA Today: NR
Rivals: 3
Student Sports: 7
MaxPreps Computer: NR
13. Hoover (Ala.) - Full previewAverage rank: 19
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: NR
PrepNation: 12
USA Today: 12
Rivals: 16
Student Sports: 13
MaxPreps Computer: 21
14. DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) - Full previewAverage rank: 19.67
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 20
PrepNation: 17
USA Today: 15
Rivals: 15
Student Sports: NR
MaxPreps Computer: 11
15. Paramus Catholic (N.J.) - Full previewAverage rank: 20.17
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 21
PrepNation: 13
USA Today: 4
Rivals: NR
Student Sports: NR
MaxPreps Computer: 3
16. Ensworth (Nashville, Tenn.) - Full previewAverage rank: 21.5
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: NR
PrepNation: 21
USA Today: 18
Rivals: 20
Student Sports: 20
MaxPreps Computer: 10
17. Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.) - Full previewAverage rank: 21.67
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 14
PrepNation: 23
USA Today: NR
Rivals: 13
Student Sports: 17
MaxPreps Computer: 23
18. Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) - Full previewAverage rank: 24
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 25
PrepNation: 24
USA Today: 21
Rivals: 18
Student Sports: 16
MaxPreps Computer: NR
19. Apopka (Fla.) - Full previewAverage rank: 24.83
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 17
PrepNation: 16
USA Today: 22
Rivals: NR
Student Sports: NR
MaxPreps Computer: 14
20. Bellevue (Wash.) - Full previewAverage rank: 26.83
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 18
PrepNation: 11
USA Today: NR
Rivals: NR
Student Sports: 12
MaxPreps Computer: NR
21. Sandy Creek (Tyrone, Ga.) - Full previewAverage rank: 29.17
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 5
PrepNation: NR
USA Today: NR
Rivals: 10
Student Sports: NR
MaxPreps Computer: NR
22. University (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) - Full previewAverage rank: 29.5
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 24
PrepNation: 19
USA Today: NR
Rivals: NR
Student Sports: 14
MaxPreps Computer: NR
23. St. Xavier (Cincinnati) - Full previewAverage rank: 30.33
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: NR
PrepNation: 25
USA Today: NR
Rivals: 24
Student Sports: NR
MaxPreps Computer: 13
24. DeSoto (Texas) - Full previewAverage rank: 30.67
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 15
PrepNation: NR
USA Today: NR
Rivals: NR
Student Sports: 9
MaxPreps Computer: NR
25. Mallard Creek (Charlotte, N.C.) - Full previewAverage rank: 30.25
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: NR
PrepNation: 20
USA Today: NR
Rivals: 21
Student Sports: 24
MaxPreps Computer: NR

Jake Browning, Folsom
Photo by Todd Shurtleff
Ranked in 2 pollsTrinity (Euless, Texas) - Rivals 17, Student Sports 22
Lawrence Central (Indianapolis) - USA Today 20, MaxPreps Computer 16
Long Beach Poly (Calif.) - Xcellent 25 23, MaxPreps Computer 12
St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) - Rivals 12, PrepNation 15
Steele (Cibolo, Texas) - USA Today 17, PrepNation 18
Ranked in 1 pollCass Tech (Detroit) - Rivals 22
Colerain (Cincinnati) - USA Today 25
Coppell (Texas) - Xcellent 25 13
Folsom (Calif.) - Xcellent 25 19
Gainesville (Ga.) - Rivals 25
Gateway (Monroeville, Pa.) - Rivals 23
Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, Md.) - USA Today 19
Jenks (Okla.) - USA Today 24
Mountain Pointe (Phoenix) - Rivals 19
North Allegheny (Wexford, Pa.) - USA Today 23
Northwestern (Rock Hill, S.C.) - Xcellent 25 22
Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, Va.) - USA Today 14
Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) - USA Today 2
Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio) - MaxPreps Computer 19
Blue Springs (Blue Springs, Mo.) - MaxPreps Computer 20
Colquitt County (Moultrie, Ga.) - Student Sports 21
Lamar (Houston, Texas) - Student Sports 19
Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) - MaxPreps Computer 9
Punahou (Honolulu, Hawaii) - MaxPreps Computer 17
St. Augustine (New Orleans, La.) - Student Sports 23
St. Bonaventure (Ventura, Calif.) - MaxPreps Computer 24
St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio) - MaxPreps Computer 22
St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.) - MaxPreps Computer 15