MaxPreps Unveils 2025 High School Football Rankings: New No. 1 Team, Top Recruits & Biggest Surprises

A new high-school football year kicks off this weekend, and MaxPreps has already lit the scoreboard with its first 2025 Top 25 rankings and a slate of must-watch matchups that could shake the national title race before Labor Day. Reigning No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, CA) opens against No. 10 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, FL), a coast-to-coast showdown that headlines Friday night’s television grids and gives both programs an instant strength-of-schedule boost. MaxPreps’ preseason board slots St. John Bosco (Bellflower, CA), Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, NV) and Grayson (Loganville, GA) at Nos. 2-4, respectively, while perennial power St. Francis Academy (Baltimore, MD) rounds out the top five. All five begin the campaign with nationally televised games, creating early résumé data for the algorithm that updates twice weekly. Why the buzz is bigger than usual • Top-10 collisions in August: Mater Dei–St. Thomas Aquinas isn’t the only ranked scrap; No. 3 Bishop Gorman hosts No. 6 Miami Central on Aug. 30, and No. 4 Grayson visits No. 8 Buford on Sept. 6, giving the rankings three elimination-game vibes before most schools finish their second class bell. • Toughest schedules ever: MaxPreps’ preseason report tags Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA), Mater Dei and St. Frances Academy with the nation’s hardest slates, a nod to the migration of interstate matchups and neutral-site showcases. • Star power everywhere: The 2025 Preseason MaxPreps All-America Team features 58 blue-chip prospects, led by five-star quarterback Julian Lewis of Carrollton (GA) and dominant edge rusher Elijah Griffin of Savannah Christian (GA). Key storylines to follow 1. Can Mater Dei repeat? The Monarchs have finished No. 1 three of the past four years and return nine defensive starters. A clean sweep of Aquinas, Gorman (Sept. 20) and Bosco (Oct. 10) would make a fourth crown likely. 2. Bosco’s revenge tour: Last year’s runner-up lost by a point to Mater Dei in the CIF final; quarterback Peyton Woodyard and a reloaded secondary aim to flip that script in December. 3. New blood in the Top 25: Texas 6A juggernaut Duncanville starts at No. 12 after back-to-back state titles, while Mill Creek (Hoschton, GA) debuts at No. 24 with Alabama commit Landon Duckworth under center. What’s next MaxPreps will refresh the Top 25 on Monday morning, factoring opening-weekend results and margin of victory. Expect significant movement if any top-10 team stumbles, especially given the computer’s emphasis on SOS and out-of-state wins. Fans can stream live scoreboards and highlights on the MaxPreps app and follow #MaxPrepsTop25 across social channels for instant updates. With blue-chip talent, national TV exposure and heavyweight clashes packed into the first three weeks, the race for the 2025 MaxPreps National Championship may be decided sooner than usual—and it all starts under the Friday-night lights this weekend.