2026 CIF Southern Section Football Preseason Rankings Countdown: No. 5-2

The CIF Southern Section Top 25 preseason countdown continues …

As we roll into the 2026 high school football season, High School On SI is providing preseason coverage from August 3-16. Week 0 starts Aug. 17. The season’s first Friday night is Aug. 21.

Preseason coverage includes a preseason Top 25 countdown, players to watch by position, along with league predictions and other intriguing pieces of content to keep an eye out for: breakout players, biggest shoes to fill, freshmen to watch, coaching storylines, and more.

Here is information on the teams ranked No. 2 to No. 5, including top returning offensive and defensive players, newcomers, and a word from the coach.

NOTE: Links to previously revealed rankings from this countdown at bottom.

2. Corona Centennial

Top Offensive Players: Xavier Baca, OL, Jr.; Saik Fiataugaluia, OL, Sr.; Nic Blum-Smith, OL, Sr.; Malaki Davis, RB, Jr.; Gavin Lorge, WR, Sr.; Jaden Bynum, WR, Sr.; Mason Fowler, WR, So.

Top Defensive Players: Miles Schirmer, DL, Sr.; Chase Wallner, LB, Sr.; Matt Salmeron, LB, Jr.; Brett Smith, DB, Sr.; Augus Saunders, DB, Sr.; Jaden Walk-Green, DB, Sr.; Dean Gibson, DB, Sr.; Andre Pommells, DB, Sr.; Jordan Kirkpatrick, DB, Jr.

Newcomers: Jaden Jefferson, QB, Sr. (Cathedral); Quentin Hale, WR, Sr. (Cathedral); Kennie Leggett, WR, Sr. (Mater Dei); Kye Duval, LB, Jr. (Mater Dei); Brody Black, OL, Jr. (Servite); Madden Lima, DL, So. (Roy, Utah).

Coach Matt Logan says: "We expect to play an extremely fast and physical brand of football, while competing for a League, CIF, State and National Championship."

3. Santa Margarita

Santa Margarita football coach Carson Palmer holds the 2025 CIF Southern Section Division 1 plaque after his Eagles beat Corona Centennial in the final at the Rose Bowl. | Jeremy Westerbeck

Top Offensive Players: Aaron Klatt, C, Sr.; Adam Iloilo, OL, So.; Grant Mosley, WR, Jr.; Luke Gazzaniga, TE, Sr.; Ray Jacobs, OL, Sr.

Top Defensive Players: Ca'ron Williams, CB, Jr.; Isaia Vandermade, DL, Sr.; Jaion Smith, LB, Jr.; Tonga Uhila, DL, Sr.

Newcomers: Cruz Nunez, OLB, Sr. (JSerra Catholic); Gauge Cook, K/P, Jr. (Aliso Niguel JV); Grant Van Raaphorst, WR, Jr. (Delbarton Catholic School, N.J.); Matt Smith, QB, Sr. (Villa Park).

Coach Carson Palmer says: “We expect to be a contender again this season ... Because of the size of that senior class, a number of younger players will need to step up and make plays throughout the season."

4. Sierra Canyon

Top Offensive Players: Jaxsen Stokes, RB, Sr.; King Webb, WR, Jr.; Micah Slade, WR, Jr.; Darren Haggerty, WR, Sr.; Tyson Seidman, C, Sr.; Braydenn Mercer, G, Sr.; Lance Ciechanowski, T, Jr.

Top Defensive Players: Myles Baker, S, Sr.; Furuq Muhammed, S, Sr.; Kasi Currie, DL, Sr.; Stefan Harrison, DL, Sr.; Brayden Tautolo, DE, Sr.

Newcomers: Marcus Fakatou, DE, Sr. (Orange Lutheran); Duvay Williams, DB, Sr. (Serra); Demarco Hernandez, QB, Sr. (JV); Jibri Abdullah, RB, Jr. (JV); Landon Ressler, WR, Jr. (Orange Lutheran); Christian Butler, WR, Jr. (Oaks Christian); Lance Brown, WR, So. (JV); Ian Patterson, QB, So. (JV); Damion Garrison, DB, So. (JV).

Coach Jon Ellinghouse says: "I love the work this team is starting to put in. I can feel the momentum, and love our prospects. I think we have a chance of being very good come playoff time."

5. Mater Dei

high school football, California — Mater Dei coach Raul Lara enters his third year at the helm in Santa Ana after going 8-3 in 2025. | Photo: Heston Quan

Top Offensive Players: Lex Mailangi. OL, Sr.;

Top Defensive Players: Danny Lang, DB, Sr.; Montana Toilolo, DL, Sr.; Matamatagi Uiagalelei, DL, Sr.; Ezekiel Su'a, LB, Sr.; Ace Luetele, DB/WR, Jr.; Mike Davis, LB, Sr.; Dailon Clanton, LB, Sr.

Newcomers: Russell Sekona, QB, Jr. (Leuzinger); Cameron Pooley, QB, Sr. (Chaminade); Judah Silva, DL, Jr. (Orange Lutheran); Isaiah Danns, DB, So. (Servite)

Coach Raul Lara says: "Very young with a good senior class."

2025 CIF-SS RECAP

PALMER LEADS SANTA MARGARITA TO GLORY

When looking back at the 2025 high school football season in the CIF Southern Section, the lede is undoubtedly Santa Margarita — for a multitude of reasons.

Former NFL Pro Bowl quarterback Carson Palmer came back to his old stomping grounds and won all the big prizes in year one.

Santa Margarita shared the Trinity League title with St. John Bosco and Mater Dei before going on to win the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship and CIF State Open Division titles. The Eagles thumped Corona Centennial at the Rose Bowl 42-7 thanks to 10 catches for 292 yards and four touchdowns (two rushing) from Player of the Year Trent Mosley (who is now at USC).

Palmer would guide Santa Margarita to a rout of De La Salle two weeks later, 47-13, at Saddleback College in December to lift the CIF State crown and finish the season 11-3.

When Palmer lifted the CIF-SS Division 1 plaque at the championship podium in the Rose Bowl, it was the first time a program not named St. John Bosco or Mater Dei lifted the Southern Section's top division trophy since Corona Centennial did it in 2015.

THE ‘MONEY MAN’

One of the biggest stories in recent prep sports history broke last fall when the emergence of Brett Steigh, also known as the ‘Money Man’, who made an appearance on FATTAL FACTOR, a weekly live sports show via Youtube with hosts Tarek Fattal and Aram Tolegian.

Steigh admitted to years of CIF violations at programs like Narbonne (his alma mater), St. Bernard, and most recently, Bishop Montgomery. The biggest confession came when he admitted to paying families up to $50,000 (plus expenses) to get their sons to play high school football at a program of his choice.

The fallout from the story resulted in Bishop Montgomery cancelling its varsity football season. The head football coach Ed Hodgkiss was fired and the President of the school Pat Lee was forced to resign. More than 20 players were deemed ineligible and hit with Bylaw 202 for falsifying documents, which means the student-athletes can’t participate in varsity athletics for up to 24 months.

The school ended up hiring Oscar McBride this past spring in efforts to start over. McBride is a former college and NFL standout who built Murrieta Mesa High into a CIF championship-level program. Murrieta Mesa was 0-9 before McBride was hired and led the program to a Division 6 title in 2024.

2025 CIF-SS CHAMPIONS

Click HERE for a quick recap of all the CIF Southern Section football champions from 2025 from Divisions 1 through 14.

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