High School on SI Texas High School Football Preseason Top 25 Rankings

Take a look at which teams are the in our Top 25 ahead of the 2025 season

Head coach Bill Elliott of Celina (left) proudly holds the trophy following his team's victory over Kilgore in the Texas 4A Division 1 title game at AT&T Stadium. Celina enters the 2025 season ranked in our Top 25. / Photo0 by Tommy Hays

The high school football season is just weeks away and it’s time for the 2025 High School on SI preseason poll. Here is how we see it heading into the season from both UIL and TAPPS schools. (Records from last season included): The high school season can start between the dates of Aug. 28-30, according to UIL and TAPPS.

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1. Fort Worth North Crowley 

Last year: 16-0; Class 6A Division I champions

The Panthers will be young this year and might not be in this spot long, depending on how early-season games against DeSoto and Denton Guyer go. There will be wholesales on offense due to graduation, but OL John Turntine III is headed to Texas next year and RB Kiante Ingram will be the feature back. The junior ran for 612 yards and 13 TDs last fall and had 4 TDs as a freshman.

2. Duncanville 

Last year: 13-1

Duncanville will be idle the first week of the 2025 season but will open with a big game on Sept. 5, facing Dallas South Oak Cliff. The Panthers, like North Crowley, lost a lot to graduation but still have some of the top players in the state and nation. DE KJ Ford, a top 100 nationally-ranked recruit, has committed to Florida, while SMU pledge TE Zachery Turner had 14 touchdowns last year.

3. Austin Vandegrift 

Last year: 15-1, Class 6A Division II champions 

The Vipers secured state title No. 1 last year and some key pieces are back. The offense had 8 returning, including Kansas State pledge Miles Teodecki, who threw 48 TDs last year and for 3,256 yards. Nevada pledge CJ Mooring, 75 tackles, 4 interceptions, is back at linebacker.

4. Austin Westlake 

Last year: 14-2, Class 6A Division I runners-up 

Dating back to 2019, the Chaparrals have won at least 14 games and have to titles in that span. With 13 total starters back, Westlake will be in the conversation again. QB Rees Wise (Ole Miss) threw for 2,598 yards and 23 passing TDs last year. 

5. Southlake Carroll

Last year: 15-1, Class 6A Division II runners-up 

Speaking of tradition, this another another program that has it. The Dragons were in the school’s 11th state title game last year but came up a touchdown short against Austin Vandegrift. Carroll returns 19 starters and one of the best offensive combos in QB Angelo Renda (Pittsburgh) and WR Brock Boyd (Ohio State).

6. Galena Park North Shore

Last year: 14-1

Texas teams don’t shy away from competition and the Mustangs are going to Dallas South Oak Cliff in Week 1. Only 8 total starters are back from last year’s squad and S Chase Calicut (Georgia) is the latest top-tier player in the secondary if his legal troubles go away. And, as the saying goes, tradition doesn’t graduate — over the last 7 years, the Mustangs are 104-6.

7. Allen 

Last year: 13-1

After a few so-so years by Allen's standards, the Eagles posted the most wins since 2018. The only loss was to North Crowley in the quarterfinals. Seven starters are back on both sides of the ball. LB Ja’Prei Wafer had 150 tackles last year. 

8. Richmond Dr. Thomas E. Randle 

Last year: 16-0, Class 5A Division II champion 

Brian Randle led the Lions to a state title in only the third year of existence, coaching at a school named after his dad. The offense features one of the most dynamic players in the country in RB Landen Williams-Callis, who runs a 4.4 and had 45 rushing touchdowns last year with 2,108 yards. The defense adds TCU pledge Noriel Dominguez, who couldn’t play varsity last year after a transfer from Fort Bend Marshall. He has 92 tackles in 2023. 

9. Dallas South Oak Cliff

Last year: 13-3, Class 5A Division II runners-up

There might not be a tougher opening 3-game stretch for any school in this state. The Golden Bears play Galena Park North Shore, Duncanville and Longview, all state semifinalists. Last year, they went 1-2 in that stretch but returned to the state finals. 

10. Katy 

Last year: 11-2

The Tigers will have 13 starters back, 8 of those will be on defense. After a 1-1 start, the Tigers won 10 in a row. The offense features a 1-2 punch at RB with Trey Hill, who ran for 1,330 yards with 20 TDs and Aqualis Jordan added 938 yards and 11 TDs.

11. Austin Lake Travis

Last year: 12-2

The only losses last year for the Cavaliers came at the hands of Austin Westlake. The Cavs have 11 total starters back, including all four in the secondary. While a new QB1 will be in place, RB Vann Hopping will make the transition easier. The Princeton pledge ran for 1,554 yards and scored 29 TDs on the ground in 2024. 

12. DeSoto

Last year: 11-3

After back-to-back state titles, the Eagles were upset by Longview last year. DeSoto will have to replace 13 starters, including a QB lost to graduation and projected starting RB Myson Johnson-Cook, who transferred to East St. Louis, Illinois, this summer after scoring 14 TD and rushing for 911 yards last year behind Tiger Riden. 

13. Aledo

Last year: 12-2

As with DeSoto above, it was a little abnormal not seeing Aledo in a state championship game. The Bearcats won back-to-back titles before getting upset by a Denton Ryan team they beat in Week 6. WR Kaydon Finley, a Notre Dame pledge, had 1,432 yards receiving with 21 touchdowns on 81 catches last fall.

14. Spring Branch Smithson Valley 

Last year: 14-2, Class 5A Division I state champions 

After getting throttled by Aledo in the 2023 finals, the Rangers returned to AT&T Stadium and left victorious with a road-like win against Dallas Highland Park. Graduation took a big hit to the offense, but the defense has 8 back. UTEP pledge Justin Roberts had 79 tackles and 4 sacks from the defensive line last year.

15. Humble Atascocita 

Last year: 12-2

The Houston-area powerhouse has posted 11 or more wins in six of the past 7 years. In that stretch, the Eagles have lost 18 games — 10 of those to Galena Park North Shore. Arizona State commit Cardae Mack is one of the most skilled players around after combining for 40 touchdowns passing/rushing and more than 3,700 yards. 

16. Humble Summer Creek 

Last year: 12-3 

The Bulldogs came up short of reaching the state finals three years in a row last fall. In recent years, they have struggled against district foe North Shore and Atascocita, but do well in the Division II bracket, losing in the semifinals last year to Vandegrift. The offense returns 7 starters, including WRs Larry Brown (562 yards/7 TD), Holden Miller (740/10) and Benny Easter (978/12).

17. Euless Trinity 

Last year: 11-2

The Trojans won 10 or more games for the 4th time over the past 7 seasons last fall and with 11, it's the most in that stretch. In fact, the 11 wins were the same as the 2022 and 2023 seasons combined. Seven starters are back on both sides of the ball, headlined by CB John Meredith III, the No. 1 recruit in the country at that position for the Class of 2027.

18. Celina

Last year: 16-0, Class 4A Division I champions 

The Bobcats won state title No. 9 last year and most games were not close, aside from a 7-point win over Canyon West Plains in the semifinals. QB Bowe Bentley put himself on the map, earning MVP honors and committed to Oklahoma in the spring. 

19. Carthage

Last year: 15-1, Class 4A Division II champions 

Two of the top recruits in the state are on the Bulldogs’ roster: RB KJ Edwards and LB Daquives Beck. The latter had 102 tackles and 5 sacks, while Edwards ran for 1,785 yards and 23 TDs on the ground. Both have committed to Texas A&M. Also, QB Jett Surratt threw for 3,378 yards and 53 TDs last year. 

20. Denton Billy Ryan 

Last year: 13-2

The Raiders reached the Class 5A Division I semifinals before losing 24-21 to Dallas Highland Park. After a loss to Aledo in the regular season, the Raiders won 9 in a row, including a win over Aledo, before the semifinal loss. QB Quin Henigan threw for 2,657 yards and 32 TDs last year and could follow his brother, Seth, a three-year starter at Memphis, into the college ranks.

21. Argyle 

Last year: 13-2

For the second time in three years, the Eagles were in the state semifinals — both ending with a loss to Dallas South Oak Cliff. Todd Rodgers returns 13 total starters. LB Maxwell Bland had 103 tackles last year, while TE Braden Bach has committed to TCU. 

22. Denton Guyer 

Last year: 10-4 

After somewhat of a down year in 2023 (7-4), the Wildcats got to double-digit wins for the fifth time in the past six years. After a 2-2 start, Guyer got hot and reached the regional finals. The offense took a lot of hits to graduation — 8 gone — but the defense returns 7 starters. DE Zane Rowe holds 35 offers, while DL Khyren Haywood has nearly 20. 

23. Argyle Liberty Christian

Last year: 12-1, TAPPS Division I state champion 

For the second straight year, Jason Witten led the Warriors to a state title. His son, Cooper, is the No. 1-ranked LB in Texas in the Class of 2027 and has nearly 30 offers. Baylor pledge Quinn Murphy threw for 3,055 yards and 43 TDs in his first year.

24. Iowa Colony

Last year: 12-2

The Pioneers enter year 4 of existence and have gone 24-3 the past two seasons. Both losses last year were to state champion Richmond Randle, in the district and then in the playoffs. QB Carson White accounted for 48 total touchdowns last year — 38 passing, 18 rushing — and accounted for more than 2,600 yards. 

25. Brenham

Last year: 11-2

The Cubs had a big turnaround last year, posting 11 wins, a big leap from a 5-6 mark in 2023. Brenham, in Class 5A Division II, could make another leap this year with 9 starters back on offense and 8 on defense. RB Jakoby Dixon, coming off a 2,248-yard, 32 TDs season last year as a sophomore, has offers from Michigan, Ohio State, Texas A&M and Texas, to name a few.

Also in the mix (in alphabetical order): Canyon West Plains; Columbus; Coppell; Dallas Highland Park, Dickinson; Fort Bend Ridge Point; Gunter, Longview; Pearland; Texarkana, Texarkana Pleasant Grove; Trophy Club Byron Nelson; Waco La Vega