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by MaxPreps
1. St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)
The Braves begin the season ranked No. 1 for the first time since 2018 and have 29 players rated as a three-star or higher.
2. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
Last season’s MaxPreps National Champs have to replace some key players but return a lot of talent headlined by Elijah Brown, the 2021 MaxPreps Sophomore of the Year.
3. St. Frances Academy (Baltimore)
The Panthers are 42-2 since 2017 and have one of their most talented teams in program history.
4. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
The Ascenders have finished ranked in the MaxPreps Top 25 seven consecutive years and roll into this season with 18 players rated as a four-star or higher.
5. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
The Raiders won their third straight 7A state title last season and are loaded once again, headlined by Penn State commit Conrad Hussey and four-star safety King Mack.
Brought home its 18th state championship in 2021 and will be tested early this season with out-of-state matchups against No. 2 Mater Dei (Calif.), No. 52 Corner Canyon (Utah) and No. 64 Hamilton (Ariz.).
7. Austin Westlake (Austin, Texas)
Defensive coordinator Tony Salazar was promoted to head coach after Todd Dodge retired. The three-time defending state champs head into this season riding a 40-game winning streak.
The top-rated player in the Class of 2024 — Dylan Raiola — transferred to Chandler in December and adds to the Wolves great list of quarterbacks in program history.
9. Corona Centennial (Corona, Calif.)
Izzy Carter (Arizona State), Owen Chambliss (Utah), Lucas Conti (Arizona) and four-star wide receiver Malachi Riley will have the Inland Empire power in contention to win its first state title since 2008.
Jon Kay led the Mustangs to their third UIL 6A Division 1 state title in four years last season and will be in the mix to add another.
11. Buford (Ga.)
Bryant Appling has gone three-for-three in leading the Wolves to state titles as head coach and has his most talented team yet heading into 2022.
12. Saguaro (Scottsdale, Ariz.)
The defending Open Division state champs return a lot of key players, led by Devon Dampier, Deric English, Jaedon Matthews and Cole Shivers.
13. Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Fla.)
Have made it to the state championship game six consecutive years and have won four during that span (2017, 2018, 2019, 2021).
14. Thompson (Alabaster, Ala.)
The three-time defending 7A state champs open the season looking to make a statement against No. 11 Buford (Ga.) in the Freedom Bowl on Aug. 19.
Jube Joseph takes over for Roland Smith as head coach and with Rueben Bain, Keyone Jenkins, Lamar Seymore and Joshisa Trader all back the Rockets will be in contention to win their fourth consecutive state title.
Reginald Samples will have a young team in 2022 but they are some of the best football players in the state led by five-star defensive end Colin Simmons, four-star defensive back Ka’Davion Dotston and Class of 2025 standout Dakorien Moore.
Troy Bowles, Luke Knight, Peter Pesansky, Joquez Smith and Wesley Shaw are all back after leading the Tigers to their first state title in 53 years.
18. St. John’s (Washington, D.C.)
The Cadets’ defense allowed less than seven points per game last season and will have a big-time defense again in 2022 headlined by 2023 Clemson commit David Ojiegbe.
19. Denton Guyer (Denton, Texas)
The 6A Division 2 runner-up returns a lot of talent led by Jackson Arnold (Oklahoma), Peyton Bowen (Notre Dame), Ryan Yaites (LSU) and Class of 2024 standout Eli Bowen.
20. American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.)
Brandon Inniss (Ohio State), Mark Fletcher Jr. (Ohio State), Damari Brown and Daemon Fagan give Mike Smith one of the most talented teams in Florida as he enters his first season after replacing Pat Surtain.
21. Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.)
The New Jersey power ran the table in 2021 and finished ranked No. 3. They have to replace some key players on offense but the Crusaders are loaded on defense led by Sydir Mitchell and D.J. Samuels.
Will be one of the favorites to win the AAAAAAA state title in 2022.
23. Lakeland (Fla.)
Legendary head coach Bill Castle enters his 47th season and has his most talented team since they won the 7A state title in 2018.
24. St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio)
The defending Division 1 state champs return a lot of key players led by Michael Kilbane, Wyatt Gedeon, Ben Roebuck, Kyan Mason, Deontae Armstrong and Devontae Armstrong.
25. Katy (Texas)
Gary Joseph enters his 19th season as head coach and has won at least 10 games every year.
26. Mill Creek (Hoschton, Ga.)
Only two losses last season came against the teams who played in the AAAAAAA championship. Will be led by the top-rated recruit in the state in Caleb Downs.
27. Central (Phenix City, Ala.)
The 7A state runner-up is loaded heading into 2022 and with three players rated in the top 150 in 247Sports composite rankings for the Class of 2023 — A.J. Harris (25), Tomarrion Parker (80) and Karmello English (141).
28. Southlake Carroll (Southlake, Texas)
Riley Dodge has gone 52-5 since taking over as head coach in 2018.
29. St. Joseph’s Prep (Philadelphia)
The Hawks open the 2022 season on Aug. 27 with a huge matchup at No. 5 St. Thomas Aquinas.
Three-star senior quarterback Kadin Semonza will have one of the best receiving corps in California with Mikey Matthews, Jackson Holman and K.J. Reed all returning.
31. Denton Ryan (Denton, Texas)
The Raiders return their top passer (Khalon Davis), rusher (Kalib Hicks), receiver (Jordyn Bailey) and leading tackler (Anthony Hill Jr.).
32. DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)
Bill McGregor enters his fourth season as head coach during his second stint at DeMatha and will have his most talented team yet.
The back-to-back 5A state champs will be led by three-star quarterback Danny O’Neil, who threw for nearly 3,000 yards and 33 touchdowns against two interceptions in 2021.
34. Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Matt Dubuc has led the Chiefs to three state titles in four years and has gone 42-8 during that span.
35. Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, Calif.)
When five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava announced he was transferring to Poly in March he added to an already loaded roster that includes Daylen Austin (LSU), Jason Robinson (USC), Dylan Williams (USC) and three-star offensive lineman Tyson Ruffins.
36. DeSoto (Texas)
Four-star wide receiver Johntay Cook II and 2023 Texas commit Tre Wisner give Claude Mathis two of the most dynamic playmakers in the Lone Star State.
37. Venice (Fla.)
The defending 8A state champs face three teams in the Top 100 — No. 3 St. Frances Academy (Baltimore), No. 13 Chaminade-Madonna (Fla.) and No. 41 Northwestern (Miami).
38. De La Salle (Concord, Calif.)
Expect the Spartans to bounce back in a big way after missing the CIF state bowl games for the first time since it started in 2006.
39. Langston Hughes (Fairburn, Ga.)
The Panthers were a field goal away from beating Buford in the AAAAAA state championship last season. Bo Hughley, Jelani Thurman, Prentiss Noland, Terrance Love, Robert Lockhart III and Joshua Horton lead the returning cast.
Five-star quarterback Malachi Nelson and four-star athlete Makai Lemon headline a talented roster that made it to the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs in 2021.
Taron Dickens, Andy Jean, Adam Moore and Jamari Ford give the Bulls one of the most explosive offenses in Florida.
42. Catholic-B.R. (Baton Rouge, La.)
David Simoneaux led the Bears to a 12-1 record and Division 1 state title in his first season as head coach and returns a lot of talent headlined by five-star wide receiver Shelton Sampson Jr.
Became the first school from Dallas ISD to win a state title since 1958 and have eight players rated as a three-star or higher returning this season.
44. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.)
The runner-up in Non-Public A will be in contention again with Chase Bisontis, Jordan Thomas, Chris Moreno and Omaree Walker all back.
The Silver Foxes have gone 77-2-1 since 2016 and won five 5A state titles during that span.
46. Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village, Colo.)
Have won three straight 5A state titles and bring back the talent to make it a four-peat in 2022.
47. Allen (Texas)
Lee Wiginton takes over for Chad Morris and in his first game as head coach for the Eagles they host No. 1 St. John Bosco in one of the biggest games of the year.
48. Folsom (Calif.)
Four-star prospects Walker Lyons and Rico Flores Jr. are back to lead the CIF Division 1-AA runner-up from a year ago.
Made the state championship game for the first time in school history and will be one of the best teams in the Buckeye State again in 2022.
50. Kahuku (Hawaii)
After being limited to only playing in-state opponents in 2021, the defending Open Division state champs have one of the toughest schedules headlined by matchups against No. 1 St. John Bosco (Calif.) and No. 3 St. Frances Academy (Baltimore) in a 13-day span.
51. Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, Md.)
Dylan Gooden, Neeo Avery, Aaron Chiles, Kyle Altuner, Dilin Jones and Frankie Weaver lead the way for a very talented Falcons squad.
52. Corner Canyon (Draper, Utah)
Eric Kjar has led the Utah power to a 63-3 record during his first five seasons as head coach and one of the top-rated quarterback prospects from the Class of 2024 — Isaac Wilson — takes over under center.
53. Lipscomb Academy (Nashville, Tenn.)
Trent Dilfer led the Mustangs to their first state title since 2007 and are favorites to repeat in 2022.
54. Collins Hill (Suwanee, Ga.)
The defending AAAAAAA state champs have to replace a very talented Class of 2022 but with Ethan Davis, Dion Crawford, Jayden Davis and sophomore quarterback T.J. Wilcox back, expect the Eagles to be in contention again.
55. King (Detroit)
The 2021 MaxPreps Michigan Player of the Year Dante Moore is back for his senior season after throwing for over 3,000 yards and 40 touchdowns for the Division III state champs.
56. Milton (Ga.)
Ben Reaves takes over as head coach replacing Adam Clack and will have one of the most talented teams in the Peach State led by Debron Gatling, Bryce Thornton, Robert Billings, Brayden Holmes and Class of 2025 standout Luke Nickel at quarterback.
57. Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.)
The Eagles have a strong returning cast and added some impact transfers that should make them the third-best team in the Trinity League.
Tausili Akana, Smith Snowden and McCae Hillstead are just a few of the notable players returning after going 11-2 in 2021.
Every year the Flyers have one of the best teams in the Midwest and that will be the case again in 2022.
60. Zachary (La.)
The 2021 MaxPreps Louisiana Player of the Year Eli Holstein returns for his senior year after accounting for over 3,700 yards of total offense and 44 touchdowns for the 5A state champs.
61. Cardinal Gibbons (Raleigh, N.C.)
Won the school’s first state title in 2021 after beating the back-to-back state champs Chamber (Charlotte) in the 4A championship.
62. Lake Travis (Austin, Texas)
Hank Carter has won at least 10 games in 11 of his 12 seasons as head coach and will have one of the best quarterbacks in the state in 2023 Michigan State commit Bo Edmundson.
The back-to-back AAAAA state champs have gone 26-3 over the last two years.
64. Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.)
Have to replace a talented Class of 2022 but will still be one of the best teams on the West Coast with Tre Spivey, Genesis Smith, Alex McLaughlin, Taye Brown and MaxPreps Freshman All-American Bear Tenney ready to roll this fall.
65. Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati)
The Fighting Crusaders were the only team to beat No. 24 St. Edward (Ohio) last season and made it to the Division 1 semifinals.
66. Tampa Bay Tech (Tampa, Fla.)
Only loss last season came against No. 5 St. Thomas Aquinas in the Class 7A title game.
Made the Open Division playoffs in 2021 and have nine players rated as a three-star or higher, headlined by 2023 Oregon commit Cole Martin.
68. North Cobb (Kennesaw, Ga.)
Malachi Singleton has accounted for over 6,000 yards of total offense and 81 touchdowns over the last two years. Expect a huge senior campaign for the Arkansas pledge.
69. Columbus (Miami)
T.J. Capers, Sedrick Irvin Jr., Adrian Posse and Daylen Russell give the Explorers one of the most talented teams in the Sunshine State.
The defending Class 5A Division 1 state champs have a new head coach in 2022 as former Denton Ryan offensive coordinator Lonnie Teague takes over for B.J. Gotte. He will have a talented team that includes the top-rated player in Texas, David Hicks Jr.
71. Christian Brothers (St. Louis)
After a season-opening 48-44 loss against East St. Louis (Ill.), the Cadets won 13 games in a row including a 48-21 win over Liberty North (Liberty) in the Class 6 state championship.
72. Cedar Grove (Ellenwood, Ga.)
The Saints won their fourth state title since 2016 last season. With Kayin Lee, Adonijah Green, Barry Jackson, Everett Roussaw and Jamar Graham returning, they will have a good chance at No. 5.
73. Bixby (Okla.)
The Spartans begin the 2022 season with the second-longest active winning streak at 49.
74. Center Grove (Greenwood, Ind.)
The back-to-back 6A state champs have won 28 games in a row.
75. Oakland (Murfreesboro, Tenn.)
Have gone 83-4 since 2016 and have won three state titles during that span (2018, 2020, 2021).
Made the CIF Open Division state championship for the first time in school history and will be one of the top teams in Northern California with Joseph Bey, Jabari Mann, Ryan Silver, Seamus Gilmartin and Maealiuaki Smith all back.
The defending Division I state champs will be one of the best teams in Michigan with the 2021 MaxPreps Freshman Player of the Year Bryce Underwood under center for the next three years.
78. Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, Va.)
Chris Scott has led the Tigers to a 35-3 record and two state titles during his first three years as head coach.
Went 14-1 last season and will be in the mix to win its first state title behind 2023 North Carolina commit Tad Hudson.
Four-star running back Cedric Baxter Jr. leads the way for one of the best teams in Florida.
81. Lakota West (West Chester, Ohio)
The Firebirds have gone 26-7 since Tom Bolden became head coach in 2019 and have made it to the Division 1 quarterfinals in each of the last two seasons.
Scott Altenberg led the Cavaliers to their first state title since 2012 and will have one of the best secondaries in the country in 2022.
83. Atascocita (Humble, Texas)
Snapped Allen’s (Texas) 122-game home win streak last season and became the first team to win at Eagle Stadium.
84. Madison Central (Madison, Miss.)
Toby Collums led the Jaguars to their first state title since 1999 in his first year as head coach and has his leading passer (Vic Sutton), rusher (De’Andre Pullen) and receiver (Isaiah Spencer) returning.
85. Colquitt County (Moultrie, Ga.)
Sean Calhoun returns to Colquitt County, this time as head coach. He was the offensive coordinator for the Packers when they won state titles in 2014 and 2015. He spent the last six years as head coach at Vestavia Hills (Ala.) and went 55-18.
86. Arlington Martin (Arlington, Texas)
Five-star cornerback Javien Toviano is one of the best all-around players in the country and leads the way for one of 16 teams from Texas featured in the top 100.
Jaden Rashada and Rashid Williams give the Pirates one of the most dynamic duos in California.
88. Pine Forest (Pensacola, Fla.)
The runner-up in 6A will be led by Donielle Hayes, Tierra Wilson, Elijah Douglas, Kobe Johnson, Jonathan Daniels and Miequle Brock Jr.
89. Gaffney (S.C.)
Dan Jones led the Indians to their first state title since 2012 last season and 18th in school history.
Stoney Pryor takes over as head coach for the runner-up in 5A Division 1. The only loss for the Cougars last season was a 27-24 overtime defeat against Paetow (Katy) in the state championship.
Elijah Williams brings back a talented team that won 11 games and added four-star linebacker Malik Bryant, who returned to the Tigers after spending the past two years at IMG Academy.
The defending Division II state champs will be headlined by four-star defensive back Jermaine Mathews and 2023 Cincinnati commit Cameron Calhoun.
93. Kennesaw Mountain (Kennesaw, Ga.)
After going 8-22 during his first three years as head coach Caleb Carmean led the Mustangs to a 10-2 record in 2021 and will have his best team yet with Cayden Lee, Connor Lew, Cayman Prangley and Jaylen Moson.
94. Bishop Amat (La Puente, Calif.)
Steve Hagerty has won over 100 games during his career at Amat and has the Lancers back on track to being one of the top teams in Southern California.
The Raiders have gone 26-4 over the last three years and will be one of the best teams in Florida with Jalen Brown, Lamont Green Jr., Daniel Harris, Antonio Smith and Antwaan Mays.
96. Longview (Texas)
John King enters his 19th season as head coach and returns 15 starters from last year’s team led by four-star wide receiver Jalen Hale and Class of 2024 standout Taylor Tatum.
97. De La Salle Collegiate (Warren, Mich.)
Three-star quarterback Brady Drogosh returns for the defending Division II state champs after accounting for over 3,200 yards of total offense and 39 touchdowns as a junior.
The Bulldogs are 49-5 over the last four years and will be in contention to win their first state title since 2018 and 16th overall.
99. Clay-Chalkville (Pinson, Ala.)
The defending 6A state champs went 15-0 in 2021 and have a huge matchup against the top-ranked team in the state No. 14 Thompson (Alabaster) on Sept. 23.
100. Bryant (Ark.)
The four-time defending 7A state champs get a big opportunity to put Arkansas on the map when they face No. 31 Denton Ryan (Texas) on Sept. 2 in Louisiana.
Players to watch
Jalen Hale ATH
-Playmaker
Kyngstonn Viliamu Asa ATH
-Tough
Nico Iamaleava QB
-Gunslinger
Nyckoles Harbor ATH
-Explosive
Arch Manning QB
-Precise
Major Programs
Why do players need trainers? Major programs do not change coaches often. Players within that program have time to develop, bond with coaches, and succeed. Schools with losing records change coaches often. When the coaches change the players suffer as they miss time to develop.
Do you have to play for a powerhouse program to be recruited? No. Dominant players play in the playoffs. What are your goals? Smaller school programs 1A – 4A allow players to shine. In 5A- 7A there is more competition on the field.
Player’s corner:
You can make it from any school. What’s the key to being recruited? Domination. Make every play a highlight.
Coach’s corner: How to develop winning programs? Train your athletes. Exploit other team’s weak players. Recruit players within the school. Have your players recruit other players. Example: Take the 6’7 basketball player and throw the ball up to him vs the 5’7 cornerback. If your school has a magnet program, get players to enroll into the magnet program; so, they can be successful once their playing days are over. Have a vision for your athletes. Speed, size, and strength.
Building a program?
When your team is better it will be harder to key on your star player. Allow your key players to play in all three phases (offense, defense, and special teams). Rotate in your star player every 5 plays, or on key downs such as 3rd down. When in doubt? Play him at the wildcat.