National High School Football Rankings: Top 25 Teams - Aug. 18

Just four of the teams in the high school football top 25 rankings took the field over the weekend, but there was still plenty of exciting action across the nation.

No. 10 Buford (Ga.) opened its season with a nationally-televised 20-13 win over Milton (Ga.) in the biggest result of the week. Elsewhere in Georgia, No. 18 Grayson routed Collins Hill, 51-3. Two of Utah’s top teams were in action as No. 12 Corner Canyon blanked Bingham 45-0 and No. 22 Skyridge blasted Mountain Ridge 52-17.

Twenty more states — highlighted by California and Florida — will officially kick off their seasons this week. More must-see matchups are right around the corner.

Below are the top 25 teams in the nation, according to the Massey Ratings, as of Aug. 18.

1. Mater Dei (Calif.) (0-0)

Coming off an undefeated season in California’s vaunted CIF Southern Section, Mater Dei is loaded once again. This is especially true on offense where a host of talented players could be an all-time group.

The Monarchs have two Power Four commits at quarterback in Wisconsin commit Ryan Hopkins and Minnesota pledge Furian Inferrera. The wide receiving corps is as good as they come, featuring five-star Ohio State verbal Chris Henry Jr. along with four-star wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and all-world tight end Mark Bowman, who is committed to the USC. This offense is scary and could be the best in the country.

The Monarchs’ place atop these high school football rankings will be tested right out of the gates. They’ll open their season at St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) on Aug. 23.

2. Duncanville (Texas) (0-0)

Duncanville lost a handful of starters on both sides of the football from last season’s team, but the Panthers bring back more than enough to warrant a spot among the nation’s elite teams.

Having a defense that can stuff just about anything right back in your face is a massive luxury. That’s exactly what Duncanville will be able to do to most opponents on Friday nights. Coming off the edges are a pair of four-stars in Kevin Ford and Landon Barnes that combined for 28.5 tackles for loss and 12 sacks in 2024.

The biggest question surrounding the team will be who is in line to replace Alabama freshman Keelon Russell at quarterback. It will likely come down to last year’s backup, rising senior J’Coryon Rivers or junior standout Maximus The Great Denson.

3. North Crowley (Texas) (0-0)

The defending Class 6A Division I state champions are plenty capable of repeating thanks to the talent they bring back across the board. North Crowley’s secondary, in particular, may be one of the best in the state. Senior safety Aaron Bradshaw, a Texas Tech commit leads the way along with junior cornerback Jerry Outhouse.

Four-star offensive lineman John Turntine anchors a stout Panthers front that will look to push people around this fall. Four-star tight end Jeramie Cooper will likely be one of the team’s top targets in the passing game.

4. DeSoto Eagles (Texas) (0-0)

DeSoto is one of the most decorated high school football programs in Texas, but the Eagles are coming off of a bit of a roller coaster 2024 campaign.

A 57-51 loss to eventual state champion North Crowley toward the beginning of the season was the first of three decisions that didn’t go the DeSoto’s way. Now the team is looking to rebound from last year’s 11-3 campaign and make another state title run.

The Eagles’ roster is headlined by four-star wide receiver Boobie Feaster, a USC pledge, who hauled in 57 passes for 824 yards and scored 13 times in 2024.

5. St. John Bosco (Calif.) (0-0)

Some may view last year’s 11-2 campaign as a down season for St. John Bosco but, if anything, it was a learning experience for a young but very talented roster. That youth saw plenty of meaningful playing time and was within a touchdown of Mater Dei in the CIF Division I Southern Section playoffs.

There’s a host of talent returning, especially on offense. Sophomore Koa Malau’ulu is back behind center after throwing for 1,812 yards and 19 touchdowns last fall. He’ll be throwing to a pair of SEC commits in Madden Williams (Texas A&M) and Daniel Odom (Oklahoma).

The Braves kickoff off their 2025 high school football season Friday at Florida’s Manatee Hurricanes.

6. North Shore Mustangs (Texas) (0-0)

North Shore saw its 2024 season come to an end in the state semifinals with a 35-10 loss to eventual state runner-up Westlake. While the Eagles fell just short of their goal last season, there’s optimism they can be right back where they want to be come December.

A lot of that plays into that they are one of the few elite Texas teams that return an experienced quarterback. Senior Kaleb Maryland will take the helm of the North Shore offense after throwing for nearly 700 yards and five touchdowns last fall in relief of 2024 starter Kaleb Bailey.

The Mustangs will start the season Aug. 29 against South Oak Cliff on the road.

7. St. Frances Academy (Md.) (0-0)

You could argue that St. Frances Academy should be a tad higher in the high school football rankings but, with the kind of schedule Messay Hailemariam puts together on an annual basis, the Panthers will have plenty of opportunities to prove their mettle this fall.

St. Frances Academy’s defense might be just a notch ahead of the offense and not by much. They’re led by five-star edge rusher Zion Elee, who is staying in-state with his commitment to the Maryland Terrapins. Looking what’s around Elee on defense and you quickly realize this unit is loaded with talent thanks to five-star safety Jireh Edwards and four-star corners Hakim Satterwhite and Raylaun Henry.

The Panthers start off the season in the Broward County Classic High School Football Showcase against Chaminade-Madonna.

8. Bishop Gorman (Nev.) (0-0)

Five-star Oregon commit Jett Washington gets a lot of the headlines for Bishop Gorman, but the Gaels have talent up and down their roster. Hawaii quarterback commit Maika Eugenio returns for his senior season after throwing for over 2,000 yards and 31 touchdowns a year ago. He is joined in the backfield by junior running back Terrance Grant, one of the top 2027 prospects in Nevada, who rushed for nearly 500 yards last season.

Bishop Gorman will open its season on Friday against in-state foe Centennial and then faces a brutal five-game stretch featuring Kahuku (Hawaii), Lone Peak (Utah), East St. Louis (Ill.), Mater Dei (Calif.) and Santa Margarita Catholic (Calif.).

9. Bixby (Okla.) (0-0)

Bixby has won 10 state championships over the last 11 seasons and the Spartans are clearly favored to win another title this fall and stay near the top of the high school football rankings.

Quarterback Carson Kirby heads into his fourth season on varsity with three state titles already under his belt. He threw for 2,976 yards and 34 touchdowns in 2024 and kept a clean jersey thanks in part to four-star offense tackle Kaeden Penny.

Bixby’s defensive front makes this unit one of the most feared around thanks to a trio of future Big 12 defenders: linebackers Trey McGothlin (Oklahoma State) and Cord Nolan (Texas Tech) and safety Emory Snyder (West Virginia).

The Spartans’ opener against Owasso on Aug. 29 could be the Game of the Year in Oklahoma.

10. Buford (Ga.) (1-0)

When you get a chance to showcase your brand new $62-million stadium in front of a national audience and face a rival in the process, losing isn’t an feasible option.

The Wolves came away with a 20-13 victory over Milton on Thursday thanks to opportunistic defense and timely offense.

Buford boasts one of the elite defensive units in the Southeast, featuring four-star edge rushers Bryce Perry-Wright (Texas A&M) and Dre Quinn (Clemson) along with four-star safety Tyriq Green (Georgia). They’re joined by three-star safeties Jameer Cantrell, Nascar McCoy (Ole Miss), Jax Pope (Mississippi State) and three-star linebacker CJ Sibley.

The Wolves will face off against five-star junior LaDamion Guyton and the Benedictine Military School Cadets this Friday.

High School Football Rankings: Nos. 11 – 25

11. Southlake Carroll (Texas) (0-0)
12. Corner Canyon (Utah) (1-0)
13. Summer Creek (Texas) (0-0)
14. Centennial (Calif.) (0-0)
15. IMG Academy (0-0)

16. Westlake (Texas) (0-0)
17. Atascocita (Texas) (0-0)
18. Grayson (Ga.) (1-0)
19. Orange Lutheran (Calif.) (0-0)
20. Allen (Texas) (0-0)

21. Bryant (Ark.) (0-0)
22. Skyridge (Utah) (1-0)
23. Coppell (Texas) (0-0)
24. Mission Viejo (Calif.) (0-0)
25. Longview (Texas) (0-0)