COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: 2026 Preseason FPRI Rankings: Teams No. 101 through No. 572 revealed

The first rankings of the 2026 Florida high school football season are officially here.

FloridaHSFootball.com has released teams ranked No. 101 through No. 572 in the Florida Power Rankings Index, beginning the Countdown to Kickoff rankings rollout ahead of the start of regular-season play.

For the first time, every FPRI ranking will be available free for all readers throughout the season. No subscription or account will be required to view the statewide rankings.

Separate classification and regional rankings will be introduced later during the preseason rollout.

The Top 100 is intentionally not included in this opening release.

Beginning Thursday, FloridaHSFootball.com will reveal the 2026 Preseason Top 100 through individual team previews, starting with No. 100 and continuing in exact order toward the top-ranked program in Florida.

The opening release includes 472 teams representing Classes 6A through 1A, the Sunshine State Athletic Association, the FHSAA Independent Leagues and independent programs from across the state.

A new preseason starting point

The 2026 preseason rankings are powered by the Florida Power Rankings Index, FloridaHSFootball.com’s proprietary system for evaluating high school football programs across Florida.

The FPRI has undergone a complete rebuild entering the 2026-27 school year, incorporating lessons learned from the 2025 tackle football season and the spring 2026 girls flag football season.

The preseason rankings are not simply a continuation of the final 2025 order.

Instead, the system establishes a new starting point by evaluating multiple seasons of available information and broad factors that include game results, scoring performance, opponent quality, strength of schedule and recent form.

A team’s 2025 record matters, but it is not evaluated in isolation.

Its previous season, level of competition, scoring results and complete recent profile can all influence where the program begins the new year.

Once games begin, 2026 performance will receive increasing weight while the preseason component gradually falls away.

For a complete explanation of the system, read:

How the Florida Power Rankings Index works for the 2026 season:

Records provide context, but they do not determine the rankings

The 2024 and 2025 records, along with 2025 postseason finishes, help explain several of the largest movements in the opening release.

They also demonstrate why the FPRI should not be viewed as a standings table.

A strong record does not automatically produce a high rating. A losing season does not automatically push a team toward the bottom.

Opponent quality, scoring performance, schedule strength and the larger two-year profile all matter.

Some programs struggled in 2025 but are supported by stronger 2024 seasons. Others produced outstanding records last fall but moved lower because their broader recent profile did not rate as strongly.

Postseason advancement also provides useful context, but it does not create an automatic ranking bonus.

FHSAA playoff games, Florida Invitational Tournament games and association postseason games are evaluated as part of the complete body of work. Their value depends on the opponents, competitiveness of the results and how those games fit within the team’s entire season.

A crowded group immediately outside the Top 100

Taylor County (Perry) opens at No. 101, making the Bulldogs the first team outside the Preseason Top 100.

Taylor County finished 10-2 in 2025 after going 7-4 in 2024. The Bulldogs moved from No. 106 in the final 2025 FPRI to No. 101 entering the new season.

Williston follows at No. 102 after finishing 10-2 and reaching a Rural regional final.

Only 1.03 rating points separate Taylor County at No. 101 from Monarch at No. 110, creating a tightly packed group that could change quickly once regular-season games begin.

The group shows how different paths can lead to nearly identical preseason ratings.

St. Petersburg Catholic went 12-1 and reached a regional final. Newberry finished 5-6 and exited in the regional quarterfinals. Niceville also finished 6-5, while Florida High went 5-7.

Despite those contrasting records, the four programs are separated by less than four-tenths of a rating point.

Niceville makes a major move toward the Top 100

One of the most significant rises near the cutoff belongs to Niceville.

The Eagles finished No. 218 in the final 2025 FPRI but enter the preseason at No. 106, a gain of 112 positions.

Niceville’s rating increased from 44.45 to 59.83.

The Eagles finished 6-5 and reached a Class 5A regional quarterfinal in 2025 after going 12-2 the previous year.

That two-season contrast illustrates how the preseason reset can evaluate a program differently from its final position following one uneven season.

Niceville begins only six spots outside the Top 100.

Newberry rises 59 positions

Newberry begins at No. 105 after finishing No. 164 in the final 2025 rankings.

The Panthers gained 59 positions, with their rating increasing from 51.32 to 60.04.

Newberry went 5-6 and reached a Class 2A regional quarterfinal last season after finishing 10-3 in 2024.

Its placement shows how a stronger previous season can remain meaningful in the preseason evaluation even after a sub-.500 campaign.

Gadsden County records one of the largest jumps

Gadsden County (Havana) makes one of the most substantial upward moves among the teams included in the opening release.

The Jaguars climbed from No. 332 in the final 2025 FPRI to No. 145 in the preseason, a gain of 187 positions.

Their rating increased from 31.92 to 54.07.

Gadsden County finished 3-5 last season after going 13-2 in 2024.

The Jaguars’ new position does not erase their 2025 struggles. It reflects a broader recent profile that remains stronger than the latest record alone would suggest.

Booker T. Washington surges despite its record

Booker T. Washington (Miami) enters the preseason at No. 178 after ending 2025 at No. 320.

The Tornadoes gained 142 positions, while their rating increased from 33.56 to 49.56.

Booker T. Washington finished 3-9 last season but reached the semifinals of the FIT 1A-3A bracket. The Tornadoes also went 10-3 in 2024.

That movement reinforces one of the central principles of the FPRI: a team’s record does not provide the complete picture by itself.

The struggles remain part of the evaluation, but so do the previous season, complete schedule and postseason results.

Blanche Ely climbs nearly 150 positions

Blanche Ely (Pompano Beach) climbed from No. 421 in the final 2025 rankings to No. 273 entering the new season.

The Tigers gained 148 positions, with their rating rising from 20.44 to 39.18.

Blanche Ely went 2-7 last season after finishing 8-4 in 2024.

Like Gadsden County and Booker T. Washington, the Tigers demonstrate how a stronger previous season can influence the preseason starting point after a difficult fall.

Columbus moves closer to the Top 100

Columbus (Miami) begins at No. 133 after finishing No. 248 in the final 2025 FPRI.

The Explorers gained 115 positions, with their rating increasing from 41.73 to 55.90.

Columbus finished 4-8 last season after going 9-4 in 2024 and reaching a regional semifinal in 2025.

The Explorers begin 33 spots outside the Top 100 and have an opportunity to climb quickly if their early results support the preseason projection.

Several Panhandle teams gain ground

The opening release includes several notable rises among Panhandle programs.

In addition to Gadsden County and Niceville:

• Escambia (Pensacola) moved from No. 376 to No. 262, gaining 114 positions.
• Marianna climbed from No. 499 to No. 388, a rise of 111 positions.
• Florida High (Tallahassee) moved from No. 162 to No. 108, gaining 54 positions.

Escambia finished 3-7 in 2025 after going 9-3 in 2024.

Marianna went 1-9 last season after finishing 10-1 the year before.

Florida High went 5-7 following an 8-4 season in 2024.

Those year-to-year differences show why the preseason rankings consider multiple seasons rather than treating one fall as the complete identity of a program.

Strong records do not guarantee upward movement

Several teams with successful 2025 seasons moved lower during the preseason recalibration.

The clearest example near the Top 100 is St. Petersburg Catholic.

The Barons finished 12-1 and reached a Class 1A regional final but open at No. 104 after finishing No. 29 in the final 2025 FPRI.

Their rating declined from 75.19 to 60.11.

St. Petersburg Catholic went 5-5 in 2024, creating a different two-year profile than its 12-1 record alone would indicate.

Central Florida Christian (Orlando) also experienced a substantial decline despite going 9-1 last season.

The Eagles moved from No. 100 in the final 2025 order to No. 281 in the preseason, with their rating falling from 61.56 to 37.68. Central Florida Christian went 3-6 in 2024.

Windermere Prep finished 8-3 and was the runner-up in the SSAA 11-Man 1A postseason bracket, but the Lakers fell from No. 236 to No. 403. They went 2-7 the previous year.

Liberty County (Bristol) went 7-3 in 2025 but opens at No. 314 after finishing No. 166. The Bulldogs were 1-9 in 2024.

Those examples do not mean the successful 2025 seasons were ignored. They show that the preseason starting point evaluates the larger recent body of work rather than carrying the final order forward unchanged.

Other notable declines

Several additional programs experienced substantial downward movement:

• Cambridge Christian (Tampa): No. 205 to No. 342
• North Florida Educational (Jacksonville): No. 217 to No. 353
• Eagle’s View (Jacksonville): No. 220 to No. 348
• Trinity Prep (Winter Park): No. 370 to No. 504
• Santa Fe Catholic (Lakeland): No. 145 to No. 264
• Milton: No. 155 to No. 272
• Father Lopez (Daytona Beach): No. 349 to No. 471
• Santa Fe (Alachua): No. 173 to No. 286
• McArthur (Hollywood): No. 51 to No. 153
• Trenton: No. 114 to No. 218

McArthur finished 10-3 last season after going 2-8 in 2024.

Milton went 7-4 and reached a regional quarterfinal after finishing 0-10 the previous year.

Trenton went 7-4 and reached a Rural regional semifinal after posting a 5-8 record in 2024.

Those dramatic contrasts help explain why a successful 2025 season does not always preserve a team’s final ranking in a preseason model evaluating a broader period.

Postseason advancement is part of the résumé

Several programs included in the opening release reached the FHSAA playoffs or competed in FIT and association postseason brackets last season.

Those finishes provide useful context, but the FPRI does not rank teams solely by the round they reached.

A regional finalist can move down. A quarterfinalist can move up. A FIT participant with a losing record can make a substantial climb.

For example:

• Williston went 10-2 and reached a regional final but moved from No. 101 to No. 102.
• Community School went 8-3 and reached a regional semifinal but moved from No. 81 to No. 103.
• Niceville went 6-5 and reached a regional quarterfinal but climbed 112 positions.
• Booker T. Washington went 3-9 and reached the FIT semifinals but rose 142 positions.
• Windermere Prep went 8-3 and finished as an SSAA postseason runner-up but dropped 167 positions.

Those results demonstrate why postseason labels alone cannot explain a rating.

The competition, scores and complete résumé provide the larger context.

Preseason influence will fade during the season

The preseason FPRI establishes a starting point, but that starting point will not remain fixed.

As 2026 games are played, current-season results will receive more weight while the preseason component gradually declines.

Early in the year, the preseason foundation helps prevent one unusual result from creating an extreme overreaction.

As more games are completed, the system gains a larger current-season sample and becomes increasingly driven by what teams accomplish on the field.

By the later portion of the regular season, a team’s position will be shaped primarily by its 2026 results, scoring performance, opponent quality, schedule strength and recent form.

That means every team has an opportunity to move.

Programs outside the Top 100 can climb by performing well against quality competition. Teams beginning near the top can fall when their results no longer support their initial placement.

Tackle football rankings will update weekly throughout the season.

The Top 100 countdown begins Thursday

The release of Nos. 101 through 572 is only the beginning of FloridaHSFootball.com’s preseason rankings coverage.

Beginning Thursday, each team in the Preseason Top 100 will receive a complete individual preview.

The series will start with No. 100 and continue in exact order toward No. 1.

Each preview will include:

• Head coach and district information
• 2024 and 2025 records
• 2025 final FPRI rating and state rank
• 2026 preseason rating and state rank
• Classification rank
• 2025 playoff or FIT finish
• Schedule overview and complete schedule
• Key losses
• Players to watch
• Toughest opponents
• District breakdown
• Playoff outlook
• Schedule difficulty rating
• Projected season range

Each team’s schedule and postseason outlook will be examined through four areas:

• 1st Down — The Gauntlet
• 2nd Down — Strength of Schedule
• 3rd Down — The Proving Ground
• 4th Down — Playoff Picture

The previews will conclude with a season outlook identifying the team’s realistic record range, potential ceiling and the factors most likely to determine whether it meets its preseason expectations.

View the 2026 preseason FPRI rankings

Teams ranked No. 101 through No. 572 are available now on FloridaHSFootball.com’s permanent rankings page.

The Top 100 remains unrevealed and will be added as teams are introduced through the Countdown to Kickoff preview series.

View the 2026 Preseason FPRI Rankings:

The rankings represent the preseason starting point and will update weekly once regular-season results begin arriving.

The Countdown to Kickoff continues Thursday with the reveal of No. 100.