2026 Maryland Preseason MaxPreps Top 25 high school football rankings

St. Frances Academy is the early No. 1 after going 9-1 in 2025.

Thumbnail image of this articles writer: Thomas Frey
By
Aug 3, 2026, 12:00pm
St. Frances Academy (Baltimore) enters 2026 as the top-ranked team in the MaxPreps preseason top 25 for Maryland.

The Panthers went 9-1 in 2025 with the only loss coming to then No. 1 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.). Five-star seniors Anthony Sweeney and Raylaun Henry patrol a defense that yielded just 8.7 points per game in 2025.

Other players to watch from the Old Line State this season include four-star seniors Cahron Wheeler of St. Paul's (Brooklandville) and James Pace III of DeMatha (Hyattsville).

Reigning Maryland state champions include Archbishop Spalding (Severn) in Class A, St. Paul's (Brooklandville, Md.) in Class B, Patuxent (Lusby) in 1A, Dunbar (Baltimore) in 2A/1A, Huntingtown in 2A, Linganore (Frederick) in 3A, Mergenthaler Vo-Tech (Baltimore) in 4A/3A, Quince Orchard (Gaithersburg) in 4A, St. Mary's Ryken (Leonardtown) in Metro and DeMatha (Hyattsville) in Capital.
St. Frances Academy begins the season ranked No. 1 in Maryland after going 9-1 in 2025. (PHOTO: Kim Kravitz)
St. Frances Academy begins the season ranked No. 1 in Maryland after going 9-1 in 2025. (PHOTO: Kim Kravitz)
MaxPreps Preseason Maryland Top 25
1. St. Frances Academy (Baltimore), 9-1 in 2025
2. DeMatha (Hyattsville), 11-0
3. Archbishop Spalding (Severn), 10-2
4. Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney) 6-5
5. Quince Orchard (Gaithersburg), 14-0
6. Linganore (Frederick), 13-0
7. McDonogh (Owings Mills), 8-3
8. Bishop McNamara (Forestville), 4-6
9. Calvert Hall (Baltimore), 6-4
10. Loyola Blakefield (Towson), 5-6
11. Mount St. Joseph (Baltimore), 6-5
12. St. Mary's (Annapolis), 7-4
13. St. Mary's Ryken (Leonardtown), 9-3
14. Milford Mill Academy (Baltimore), 10-1
15. Oakdale (Ijamsville), 10-3
16. Wise (Upper Marlboro), 11-2
17. Dunbar (Baltimore), 12-1
18. Mergenthaler Vo-Tech (Baltimore), 12-1
19. Georgetown Prep (North Bethesda), 5-5
20. Gilman (Baltimore), 4-7
21. Fort Hill (Cumberland), 9-4
22. North Point (Waldorf), 4-8
23. Concordia Prep (Towson), 3-7
24. Flowers (Springdale), 7-5
25. Broadneck (Annapolis), 8-4

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