The countdown to the next high school football season is officially on. With kickoff just three months away in the earliest states, it's the perfect time to check in on the spring landscape—and the Sporting News High School Football Spring Top 25 is here to set the stage.
At the top of the rankings, the Buford Wolves (GA) enter the 2026 season as the defending national champions. But despite that crown, they're not sitting at No. 1—they check in at No. 3, a testament to just how stacked the field is this spring. Buford may be the reigning champs, but the teams ahead of them have some serious hardware in their sights.
Holding down the top two spots are programs that were originally scheduled to face off last November in a game that would have shaped the national title race. First, the IMG Academy Ascenders (Bradenton, FL) are loaded as always, coming off a perfect 9-0 season. They were ranked No. 1 heading into that highly anticipated matchup with No. 2 St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, MD).
That game had major national championship implications, so the two schools agreed to postpone it until early December—when state championships across the country would be in full swing. Neither IMG nor St. Frances competes in their respective state associations, so the extra time made sense. But then came a bombshell: top-ranked IMG Academy decided to cancel the contest altogether, leaving St. Frances scrambling for a postseason opponent.
Enter the Overtime Nationals. St. Frances was invited to host the championship game, where they took down the Corner Canyon Chargers (Draper, UT) 37-20, earning a share of the national title. It was a dramatic twist that still echoes in these spring rankings.
Meanwhile, fast-rising Baylor School from Chattanooga, TN, is making noise at No. 12. They're a team to watch as the season approaches, with momentum building and a roster that's turning heads.
As for key departures, keep an eye on offensive tackle Keenyi Pope, who's headed to USC—a big loss for his former team, but a sign of the talent flowing through these programs.
Whether you're tracking the top contenders or scouting the next wave of stars, this spring Top 25 is your guide to the season ahead. Gear up, because high school football is almost back.