Three weeks into the 2026 regular season, the Florida Power 25 has undergone its largest transformation yet.

St. Thomas Aquinas takes over the No. 1 position after defeating Columbus 31-24, moving ahead of IMG Academy National for the first time this season. West Boca Raton remains No. 3, Cardinal Newman climbs to No. 4 and Raines rounds out a top five separated from a rapidly changing group directly behind it.

Week 3 also produced several of the biggest single-week movements anywhere in the FPRI. Venice climbs four spots to No. 6 after beating Lakeland 32-25. Columbus rockets 20 positions from No. 28 to No. 8 despite losing narrowly to St. Thomas Aquinas. Chaminade-Madonna jumps 10 spots after defeating American Heritage, while Osceola explodes 75 positions from No. 90 to No. 15 after stunning Lake Mary 17-9.

Columbia also forces its way into the Power 25 with a 21-position jump following its win over Madison County, while Bolles climbs five places to take the final spot.

At the same time, West Orange, Carrollwood Day, Clearwater Central Catholic and Mandarin all fall outside the Power 25 as the amount of current-season evidence continues growing.

FLORIDA POWER 25 — SEP. 6

FPRI METHODOLOGY UPDATE

Readers may notice more movement than usual in this week’s FPRI rankings.

After reviewing how the first three weeks of the 2026 season were being reflected in the model, several refinements were made to better balance preseason expectations with actual on-field results. The changes were applied consistently across the entire statewide dataset and were not made to benefit or penalize individual teams.

The biggest update involves head-to-head results. FPRI now gives stronger recognition to statement wins over teams that entered a game rated significantly higher, but it does so in a controlled way. Rather than automatically transferring the defeated opponent’s full rating to the winner, the system moves the winning team part of the way toward that opponent’s pregame strength.

The model also now considers what happens after that win. A later loss to an elite or higher-rated opponent does not erase the value of an earlier statement victory, while a later loss to a significantly lower-rated opponent can reduce how much of that head-to-head boost remains.

Quality wins were also refined. Instead of using hard rating cutoffs that could create abrupt jumps in bonus value, the quality-win component now uses a smoother scale and gives more consideration to current-season performance when a team has already exceeded its preseason expectation.

A 35-point per-game margin-of-victory cap has also been added to the rating calculation. Actual scores and point differentials remain unchanged in the published statistics, but margins beyond 35 points no longer continue increasing a team’s rating. This helps prevent extreme blowouts from carrying too much weight in the overall formula.

Preseason ratings still remain part of FPRI early in the season because the sample size is small, but that influence continues to decline as more games are played and more 2026 data becomes available.

Because these refinements are being applied to games already played this season, some teams make larger-than-normal moves in this week’s rankings. That movement is expected as the model adjusts to the stronger body of current-season evidence.

As the season progresses, FPRI should naturally become more stable while remaining responsive to meaningful wins, losses, opponent strength and head-to-head results.

THE TOP FIVE

St. Thomas Aquinas Takes Over No. 1

For the first time this season, there is a new team atop the Florida Power 25.

St. Thomas Aquinas defeated Columbus 31-24 at Brian Piccolo Stadium and climbs one position from No. 2 to No. 1 with a 99.63 FPRI rating.

The Raiders also carry a 29.0 strength-of-schedule figure, one of the strongest numbers among the statewide leaders. That gives the FPRI substantial current-season opponent information to support a résumé that continues to strengthen against high-level competition.

IMG Academy National slides one position to No. 2 despite shutting out St. Louis (Hawaii) 41-0 in California. The Ascenders remain unbeaten at 3-0 and carry a 99.07 FPRI rating, just 0.56 points behind St. Thomas Aquinas.

That movement is another example of why the FPRI is relative. IMG did not do anything to hurt its résumé — it produced a dominant victory — but St. Thomas Aquinas gained enough from defeating Columbus, combined with the strength of the Raiders’ overall opponent profile, to move narrowly ahead.

West Boca Raton remains No. 3 after shutting out Spanish River 37-0. The Bulls now carry a 96.54 rating and remain firmly connected to the race for No. 1 despite sitting 3.09 points behind St. Thomas Aquinas.

Cardinal Newman continues its climb after overwhelming John Carroll 45-7. The Crusaders move two positions to No. 4 with a 93.52 rating, while Raines falls one place to No. 5 despite improving to 3-0 with a 21-12 victory over Ed White.

Only 6.26 rating points separate No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas from No. 5 Raines.

WEEK 4 GAMES TO WATCH

Cardinal Newman at West Boca Raton — Thursday, 6:30 p.m., Frank A. Barbieri Jr. Stadium

The No. 3 and No. 4 teams in the Florida Power 25 meet head-to-head in one of the most significant games of Week 4. West Boca has remained firmly among the statewide leaders, while Cardinal Newman has continued climbing behind consecutive statement performances.

St. Thomas Aquinas at Dillard — Thursday, 7 p.m., Otis Gray Jr. Memorial Stadium

The new No. 1 gets its first opportunity to defend the position against a Dillard team that has risen sharply after defeating Coconut Creek.

Raines at Terry Parker — Friday, 6:30 p.m., Joe Hodge Stadium

Raines begins district play looking to remain unbeaten and strengthen a top-five position that has held firm throughout the opening weeks.

IMG Academy National is open in Week 4.

VENICE MAKES ITS MOVE AS CARDINAL MOONEY AND COLUMBUS SURGE

Venice turns one of Week 3’s marquee games into one of the most important results in the new Power 25.

The Indians defeated Lakeland 32-25 and climb four positions from No. 10 to No. 6 with a 91.44 rating. The victory gives Venice another major current-season result and creates considerable separation between the Indians and the next group.

Cardinal Mooney makes an even larger numerical climb.

The Cougars jump seven positions from No. 14 to No. 7 after defeating True North 56-34. Cardinal Mooney now carries an 84.94 rating, placing the Cougars only 0.02 points ahead of Columbus.

The Explorers own one of the most fascinating movements anywhere in this week’s rankings.

Columbus lost 31-24 to St. Thomas Aquinas, yet rockets 20 positions from No. 28 to No. 8 with an 84.92 rating.

That movement is driven by context.

The Explorers entered Week 3 one week removed from beating Bishop Gorman and then pushed the new No. 1 team in Florida to a seven-point game. Their 29.4 strength-of-schedule figure is also among the highest in the entire FPRI.

A competitive loss against the state’s highest-rated team therefore tells the model something very different than a similar loss against a lower-rated opponent.

St. Augustine climbs three positions to No. 9 following its 34-8 victory over Menendez, while Chaminade-Madonna completes the top 10 after one of the week’s most important head-to-head wins.

The Lions beat American Heritage 46-27 and surge 10 positions from No. 20 to No. 10 with an 84.53 rating.

Only 0.41 points separate No. 7 Cardinal Mooney from No. 10 Chaminade-Madonna.

WEEK 4 GAMES TO WATCH

Columbus at Miami Palmetto — Thursday, 7:30 p.m., Tropical Park

Columbus follows consecutive games against Bishop Gorman and St. Thomas Aquinas with another direct South Florida test. The Explorers have made an enormous statewide rise and now get an immediate opportunity to reinforce it.

Wellen Park at Cardinal Mooney — Thursday, 7 p.m., Austin Smithers Stadium

Cardinal Mooney gets its first game as a statewide top-seven team after another strong offensive performance.

True North at Chaminade-Madonna — Thursday, 6:30 p.m., Vince Zappone Field

Chaminade-Madonna looks to build on its victory over American Heritage and strengthen its new place inside the statewide top 10.

St. Augustine at Middleburg — Friday, 7 p.m., Alan Powers Field at Garber Automall Stadium

St. Augustine enters Week 4 unbeaten and inside the statewide top 10 after another convincing win.

Venice hosts Lehigh on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Powell-Davis Stadium.

LAKE MARY AND LAKELAND FALL AS OSCEOLA EXPLODES INTO THE POWER 25

Perhaps no portion of the statewide rankings changed more dramatically than Nos. 11 through 15.

Lake Mary falls four positions from No. 7 to No. 11 after Osceola handed the Rams a 17-9 loss. Lake Mary now carries an 84.40 rating.

Lakeland falls seven positions from No. 5 to No. 12 after its loss to Venice and sits almost exactly alongside Lake Mary at 84.39.

Only 0.01 rating points separate the two.

Miami Northwestern falls five places to No. 13 despite shutting out Hialeah 51-0. Buchholz also slides five positions to No. 14 despite dominating Eastside 49-7.

Those drops are not indications that the victories somehow hurt either program. They reflect the magnitude of the gains made by Columbus, Chaminade-Madonna, Osceola and others around them.

And no team gains more than Osceola.

The Kowboys make an extraordinary 75-position jump, climbing from No. 90 to No. 15 after defeating Lake Mary.

Osceola entered Week 3 with a 60.13 FPRI rating. Lake Mary entered at 91.29.

That represented a 31.16-point pregame difference.

After Osceola’s 17-9 victory, the Kowboys climb to 84.00 while Lake Mary falls to 84.40. What had been more than a 31-point gap is now only 0.40 points.

That movement illustrates exactly how the refined head-to-head component is designed to work. Osceola receives enormous recognition for defeating a significantly higher-rated opponent, but the model does not simply erase every other piece of information and automatically place the winner above the loser.

The Kowboys nearly crossed that threshold in one week.

Now they get another enormous opportunity.

WEEK 4 GAMES TO WATCH

Lakeland at Osceola — Friday, 7 p.m., Kowboy Field

One week after stunning Lake Mary, Osceola immediately gets another statewide measuring stick. Lakeland enters after its loss to Venice but remains only 0.39 rating points ahead of the Kowboys.

Lake Mary at DeLand — Friday, 7 p.m., Spec Martin Memorial Stadium

Lake Mary gets an immediate opportunity to respond against a DeLand team with one of the strongest schedules in Central Florida.

Miami Northwestern at Hawthorne — Thursday, 6 p.m., Annie Mae Phillips Stadium

Miami Northwestern travels to face another Florida Power 25 team in one of the most intriguing cross-classification games of Week 4.

Buchholz at West Port — Friday, 7 p.m., Wolf Pack Stadium

Buchholz begins district play after another dominant Gainesville-area victory.

ARMWOOD CLIMBS AS AMERICAN HERITAGE AND VERO BEACH SLIDE

Armwood makes one of the largest gains in the second half of the Power 25.

The Hawks shut out Plant City 35-0 and climb nine positions from No. 25 to No. 16 with an 81.89 rating.

Armwood’s 24.4 strength-of-schedule figure provides substantial support for that climb, and the Hawks now sit less than three points outside the top 10.

American Heritage moves in the opposite direction after losing to Chaminade-Madonna.

The Patriots fall six positions from No. 11 to No. 17 with an 81.40 rating. Their 29.7 strength-of-schedule figure remains one of the strongest in Florida, which helps keep American Heritage inside the upper portion of the Power 25 despite its second loss.

Vero Beach falls five places from No. 13 to No. 18 after losing 38-6 to St. Frances Academy.

Again, the strength of the opponent matters. Vero Beach carries a 27.5 SOS figure and remains only 0.01 points behind American Heritage despite the difficult Week 3 result.

Miami Central drops four positions to No. 19 despite a 43-7 victory over St. Brendan, while The First Academy climbs three places to No. 20 after going on the road and beating Port Charlotte 23-20.

The Royals have now stacked victories over Dr. Phillips, Edgewater and Port Charlotte, giving the FPRI a growing collection of current-season evidence supporting their rise.

WEEK 4 GAMES TO WATCH

American Heritage at Trinity Christian — Friday, 7 p.m., Conquerors Stadium

American Heritage gets no break after the Chaminade-Madonna loss. The Patriots head to Jacksonville for another matchup against a highly rated opponent.

Miami Central at Buford (Ga.) — Friday, 7:30 p.m., Phillip Beard Stadium

Miami Central faces one of the strongest out-of-state opponents on Florida’s Week 4 schedule.

The First Academy at South Lake — Friday, 7 p.m., Eagle Stadium

The First Academy takes its unbeaten start back on the road after another close victory.

Vero Beach at Centennial — Friday, 7 p.m., South County Regional Stadium

Vero Beach begins district play with an opportunity to respond after the St. Frances Academy loss.

Spoto visits Armwood on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Lyle Flagg Field.

JONES, HAWTHORNE AND COLUMBIA LEAD A CHANGING BOTTOM FIVE

Jones slips two positions from No. 19 to No. 21 despite defeating Evans 12-6.

The Tigers carry an 80.53 rating and remain only 0.50 points behind The First Academy.

Hawthorne falls six positions from No. 16 to No. 22 despite shutting out Hernando 38-0.

The Hornets remain the highest-rated Class 1A team in Florida, but their -15.5 strength-of-schedule figure provides less opponent-strength support than several teams climbing around them.

Week 4 gives Hawthorne perhaps the strongest possible opportunity to change that.

Miami Northwestern comes to Annie Mae Phillips Stadium on Thursday.

Columbia makes one of the biggest entries into the Power 25.

The Tigers rocket 21 positions from No. 44 to No. 23 after defeating Madison County 27-13. Columbia has now built an early résumé that includes victories over Bolles, Lakewood and Madison County, giving the FPRI significantly more current-season evidence than it possessed entering the season.

Tampa Bay Tech slips two positions from No. 22 to No. 24 despite shutting out Jefferson 38-0.

Bolles takes the final spot at No. 25 after climbing five positions during an open week. The Bulldogs carry a 79.33 rating and one of the stronger schedules among the teams around the cutoff.

That movement pushes Carrollwood Day, Edgewater, West Orange, Clearwater Central Catholic and Mandarin into the group immediately outside the Power 25.

WEEK 4 GAMES TO WATCH

Miami Northwestern at Hawthorne — Thursday, 7 p.m., Annie Mae Phillips Stadium

The No. 13 and No. 22 teams meet in a game with major statewide implications. Hawthorne can dramatically strengthen its schedule profile, while Northwestern has an opportunity to add a significant road result.

Bishop Kenny at Bolles — Friday, 7 p.m., Skinner-Barco Stadium

Bolles gets its first game back inside the Florida Power 25 against another Northeast Florida program capable of influencing the cutoff.

Columbia at Ribault — Friday, 6:30 p.m., Alvin White Stadium

Columbia gets its first game after a 21-position statewide rise and begins district play against Ribault.

Boone at Jones — Thursday, 7 p.m., Booker T. Reddick Field

Jones gets another Orlando matchup as the Tigers try to strengthen their position near the bottom of the Power 25.

Tampa Bay Tech at Plant — Thursday, 7 p.m., Dad’s Stadium

Tampa Bay Tech faces one of this week’s fastest-rising Tampa Bay teams in a matchup that could directly affect the Power 25 cutoff.

THE CHASE JUST OUTSIDE THE POWER 25

The teams immediately outside the rankings remain close enough to create substantial Week 4 movement.

Carrollwood Day is the first team out at No. 26 with a 78.37 rating after overwhelming Northside Christian 76-0. The Patriots fall eight positions despite the dominant result because the 35-point margin cap limits how much additional rating value an extreme blowout can create while several other teams produced stronger head-to-head information.

Edgewater climbs seven positions to No. 27 after beating Windermere 42-28 and now sits only 1.21 points outside the Power 25.

West Orange falls 11 spots to No. 28 despite improving to 3-0 with a 59-6 victory over Wekiva. The Warriors’ 16.7 strength-of-schedule figure remains strong, but the amount of movement elsewhere pushes them out for now.

Clearwater Central Catholic falls five positions to No. 29 during an open week, while Mandarin drops nine places to No. 30.

Only 2.69 rating points separate No. 25 Bolles from No. 30 Mandarin.

That leaves several programs positioned to return quickly with one significant result.

Week 4 provides multiple opportunities.

Edgewater travels to Lake Nona on Friday at 7 p.m. at Nemours Stadium. Ocoee visits West Orange on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Raymond Screws Field. Calvary Christian visits Clearwater Central Catholic on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at James Brian Thomas Stadium, while Mandarin travels to Nease on Friday at 7 p.m. at Panther Stadium.

THE BIGGEST WEEK 4 POWER 25 GAMES

Cardinal Newman at West Boca Raton — Thursday, 6:30 p.m., Frank A. Barbieri Jr. Stadium

No. 4 visits No. 3 in the biggest direct Power 25 matchup of the week. The winner gets a major opportunity to strengthen its position immediately behind the top two.

Miami Northwestern at Hawthorne — Thursday, 7 p.m., Annie Mae Phillips Stadium

No. 13 Northwestern travels to No. 22 Hawthorne in a fascinating cross-classification matchup. The game gives Hawthorne an enormous strength-of-schedule opportunity and Northwestern another chance to strengthen a rating currently held back by its early opponent profile.

St. Thomas Aquinas at Dillard — Thursday, 7 p.m., Otis Gray Jr. Memorial Stadium

The new No. 1 begins its first week atop the statewide rankings against a Dillard team that has climbed quickly.

Columbus at Miami Palmetto — Thursday, 7:30 p.m., Tropical Park

No. 8 Columbus follows Bishop Gorman and St. Thomas Aquinas with another direct South Florida matchup against a highly rated Class 6A opponent.

Lakeland at Osceola — Friday, 7 p.m., Kowboy Field

Only 0.39 rating points separate No. 12 Lakeland and No. 15 Osceola. The Kowboys have just made a 75-position jump after beating Lake Mary and now get another immediate measuring stick.

Lake Mary at DeLand — Friday, 7 p.m., Spec Martin Memorial Stadium

No. 11 Lake Mary gets the chance to respond to its loss against a DeLand team carrying one of the strongest schedules in Central Florida.

American Heritage at Trinity Christian — Friday, 7 p.m., Conquerors Stadium

No. 17 American Heritage gets another difficult opponent after consecutive high-level South Florida matchups.

Miami Central at Buford (Ga.) — Friday, 7:30 p.m., Phillip Beard Stadium

No. 19 Miami Central adds another nationally significant opponent to the Florida Power 25 schedule.

Bishop Kenny at Bolles — Friday, 7 p.m., Skinner-Barco Stadium

No. 25 Bolles immediately puts the final Power 25 position on the line against Bishop Kenny in another important Northeast Florida matchup.

THREE WEEKS DOWN, AND THE STATEWIDE PICTURE IS CHANGING FAST

Week 3 represents the clearest break yet between the preseason FPRI and the version increasingly being shaped by the 2026 season.

St. Thomas Aquinas has overtaken IMG Academy National for No. 1.

Venice has climbed from No. 10 to No. 6 after beating Lakeland.

Columbus has gone from outside the Power 25 at No. 28 to No. 8 after beating Bishop Gorman and then competing within seven points of St. Thomas Aquinas.

Chaminade-Madonna has jumped from No. 20 to No. 10 after beating American Heritage.

Osceola has made perhaps the most dramatic move of all, going from No. 90 to No. 15 after defeating Lake Mary and nearly eliminating what had been a 31.16-point FPRI gap in a single update.

Columbia has climbed from No. 44 to No. 23 after adding Madison County to an increasingly strong résumé.

Those movements show why the FPRI should not be interpreted as a traditional media poll or a simple standings table.

A team can win and move down.

A team can lose competitively against an elite opponent and move up.

A head-to-head victory can create enormous movement without automatically forcing the winner above the loser if the pregame rating gap remains large enough.

The quality of opponents matters.

So does the way those opponents perform afterward.

And large blowouts now stop adding margin-of-victory value once the difference reaches 35 points.

Preseason information is still present because three games remain a relatively small sample, but its influence continues declining.

Every additional week gives the model more current-season evidence and less reason to rely on where teams began.

Week 3 changed the Florida Power 25 more than either of the first two weeks.

Week 4 includes enough major head-to-head matchups to potentially do it again.

EXPLORE THE COMPLETE FLORIDA POWER RANKINGS INDEX

The Florida Power 25 is the statewide centerpiece of FloridaHSFootball.com’s Enhanced Florida Power Rankings Index, which ranks all 587 football teams in Florida — 563 11-man teams and 24 8-man teams — while also powering classification rankings, eight regional rankings, strength-of-schedule analysis and weekly game forecasts.

As more games are played, current performance and opponent strength will continue replacing preseason information within the ratings.

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