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NATIONAL RANKINGS

NATIONAL RANKINGS

Where Georgia high school football teams rank in major national preseason polls

Buford's Deion Miller (center left) and Ethan Hauser (center right) tackle Carrollton's Cameron Wood (left) during the Class 6A GHSA championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in December. Buford won 28-21 to finish the season undefeated. (Jason Getz/AJC 2025)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Buford's Deion Miller (center left) and Ethan Hauser (center right) tackle Carrollton's Cameron Wood (left) during the Class 6A GHSA championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in December. Buford won 28-21 to finish the season undefeated. (Jason Getz/AJC 2025)

Aug 13, 2026

Where Georgia teams stand in preseason polls

The high school football ranking sources that collectively determined Buford to be the national champion in 2025 are now projecting the Wolves to be the best team in Georgia and a national title contender again this season.

Buford, coming off a 15-0 season that ended with its 15th state championship (14th since 2000) but first in Georgia’s highest classification, enters the 2026 season No. 1 nationally in the MaxPreps and ESPN SC Next preseason rankings and in the top 11 of the other eight polls considered by AJC Varsity. The Wolves are the highest-rated Georgia team in every poll except for Rivals, which has Carrollton No. 7 and Buford No. 9.

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Last season, Buford became the first Georgia team in 10 years to finish a season ranked No. 1 nationally in at least one poll. The state’s most recent national champion had been Colquitt County, which ended the 2015 season No. 1 in the High School Football America and Prep Force rankings.

Carrollton, Grayson, Creekside and Thomas County Central also received Top 25 recognition in this year’s preseason polls.

Carrollton, which lost to Buford in the Class 6A championship game last season, is ranked in the Top 25 in nine of the 10 polls, with highs of No. 7 in the ESPN and Rivals rankings.

Grayson, which lost to North Gwinnett 37-22 Wednesday in the Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic, captured eight Top 25 recognitions, with a high of No. 8 in the ESPN poll. Creekside, the Class 4A champion in 2025, is in the top 25 of seven polls and as high as No. 10 in NationalHSFB.com. Thomas County Central, last year’s Class 5A champion, is ranked No. 16 in the Massey Ratings and No. 25 in NationalHSFB.com.

Here is where Georgia teams stand in the major national preseason polls.

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MaxPreps

(Full Top 100 list)

1. Buford
13. Grayson
20. Carrollton
22. Creekside
34. Thomas County Central
38. Gainesville
46. Milton
51. McEachern
56. Douglas County
77. North Gwinnett
82. Lowndes
85. Newton
91. Valdosta
93. Lee County

High School Football America

(Full Top 100 list)

5. Buford
8. Carrollton
14. Grayson
24. Creekside
44. Thomas County Central
56. Gainesville
62. Hughes
73. Douglas County
75. Milton
79. Roswell
82. North Gwinnett
87. Lowndes
94. Colquitt County
96. Valdosta

Massey Ratings

(Full Top 100 list)

7. Buford
12. Carrollton
16. Thomas County Central
19. Grayson
41. Creekside
55. Hughes
57. North Gwinnett
65. Rome
66. Gainesville
79. Lowndes
87. Valdosta
91. Benedictine
97. Milton

Mister Football

(Composite list)

4. Buford
11. Carrollton
13. Grayson
22. Creekside
38. Thomas County Central
40. Milton
43. Gainesville

Explore43 football teams that have moved up in class, including two 2025 champs

USA Today

(Full Top 25 list)

11. Buford
12. Grayson
15. Carrollton
19. Creekside

ESPN SC Next

(Full Top 25 list)

1. Buford
7. Carrollton
8. Grayson
25. Creekside

Rivals

(Full Top 25 list)

7. Carrollton
9. Buford

High School on SI

(Full Top 25 list)

3. Buford
12. Grayson
15. Carrollton
17. Creekside

NationalHSFB.com

(Full Top 25 list)

6. Buford
10. Creekside
18. Gainesville
25. Thomas County Central

The Sporting News

(Full Top 25 list)

3. Buford
13. Carrollton
15. Grayson

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Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

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