Rivals National High School Football Composite Rankings – Aug. 27

The first National High School Football Composite Rankings of the season have been released, with the Mater Dei Monarchs topping the list following their victory over No. 13 St. Thomas Aquinas. The St. Frances Academy Panthers, who routed Chaminade-Madonna on Saturday, are close behind at No. 2.

Below are the top-25 teams in the Rivals National High School Football Composite Rankings, a proprietary algorithm that compiles rankings listed in the public domain by respected media and data companies. It includes Massey, MaxPreps, ESPN and SI, creating the industry’s most comprehensive and geographically balanced ranking.

1. Mater Dei Monarchs (Calif.)

Mater Dei (1-0) just edged out St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) at the Broward County Classic High School Football Classic down in Fort Lauderdale, pulling off a 26-23 victory. The Monarchs got big performances from Wisconsin commitment Ryan Hopkins, who completed 13 of 23 passes for 282 yards and three scores. Also standing out was Ohio State commit Chris Henry Jr., finishing the game with four catches for 135 yards and two touchdowns. Mater Dei will not have a game this week due to Bishop Montgomerycanceling their matchup due to a lack of eligible players.

2. St. Frances Academy Panthers (Md.)

The Panthers were arguably the most impressive team of the first weekend, as they cruised to a 42-13 thrashing of Chaminade-Madonna Prep (Fla) at the Broward County Classic. St. Frances Academy (1-0) showcased a strong running game and tenacious defense that flew around against the Lions. The team will take a bye week before traveling across the country to take on No. 3 St. John Bosco on Sept. 5.

3. St. John Bosco Braves (Calif.)

The Braves traveled hundreds of miles to face Manatee in Bradenton and only got to play one half of football before the game was called due to inclement weather. St. John Bosco (1-0) took care of business in those two quarters, though, easily defeating Manatee in a 31-0 decision. Sophomore quarterback Koa Malau’ulu was impressive, completing 9 of 12, 121 yards and three touchdowns. Texas A&M commitment Madden Williams was Malau’ulu’s favorite target, hauling in three passes for 66 yards and a score. This week the Braves welcomes Eastwood (Texas) to California.

4. Bishop Gorman Gaels (Nev.)

Bishop Gorman (1-0) opened the season up with a 52-0 win over Centennial (Nev.). Hawaii commitment Maika Eugenio was flawless in the win, completing all eight of his passes for 233 yards and four touchdowns. It seems inevitable that the Gaels are destined to win another Nevada state championship, but the goal in mind is to somehow claim a national championship and a Sept. 19 visit from top-ranked Mater Dei will ultimately decide whether that could become a reality or not.

5. IMG Academy Ascenders (Fla.)

Of the three Florida programs in the top 25, the IMG Academy (1-0) leads them all in this week’s rankings. The Ascenders have played two quality programs to start the season with a scrimmage against The First Academy and their opener against Hoover (Ala.), winning both by more than 30 points. Now IMG will take a trip up to New Jersey and take on Winslow Township, the defending NJSIAA Group 4 state champions. Behind a stellar run game and stout defense, it’s difficult seeing IMG Academy losing a game until Nov. 7 when it will be challenged by St. Frances Academy (Md.).

6. Duncanville Panthers (Texas)

The Panthers have yet to start their season but this week ends all of the waiting around in the Lone Star State. Duncanville fell short of winning last year’s UIL Class 6A, Division I state championship and now are on a mission to get back to the title game at AT&T Stadium in December. To do so, they’ll need to rely on a talented defensive front seven, led by 6-foot-3, 245-pound senior defensive end Kevin Ford (Florida commit), who tallied 57 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and seven sacks as a junior. 

7. Grayson Rams (Ga.)

Grayson (2-0) has proven itself to be the best team in the Peach State as the Rams started the season with a crushing 51-3 victory over rival Collins Hill. They followed it up with an impressive 24-19 win against Rabun Gap-Nacoochee in Week 2. When it comes to the level of difficulty so far out of Georgia, only Grayson and Buford can compare schedule wise. Grayson has received strong play on both sides of the ball, with quarterback Travis Burgess (North Carolina commit) impressing.

8. Buford Wolves (Ga.)

Buford’s (2-0) start to this 2025 high school football season might be as impressive as anyone’s because of the teams they’ve faced so far. First up was a meeting with No. 18 Milton, with the Wolves coming away with a 20-13 victory on national television. Last week Buford hit the road to Savannah to face a very good Benedictine Military School squad and won by multiples scores. What else could you want from this group? Buford has proven itself thus far as a serious contender to Grayson for Georgia’s Class 6A state championship this upcoming fall.

9. North Crowley Panthers (Texas)

There’s a lot to like about North Crowley as the team heads into its regular season opener against Lancaster on Thursday night. One thing that looks like a potential concern for the Panthers is the quarterback position, as Jacob Torres was ruled ineligible for the 2025 season by the UIL. Despite not having Torres on offense, head coach Ray Gates has been bullish about bringing back one of the best defenses he’s ever coached. North Crowley’s secondary sets them apart from mostly everyone in Texas, with the back end featuring Aaron Bradshaw (Texas Tech commit), three-star safety Elijajuan Houston, four-star cornerback Jerry Outhouse and Thomas Cook (Colorado State commit). 

10. Centennial Huskies (Calif.)

Rounding out the composite national high school football top 10 are the Centennial Huskies (1-0), who kicked off the 2025 campaign with a 42-14 thrashing of Servite. The Huskies are optimistic about their chances of competing for the CIF’s Open Division state championship because of the myriad of talent they possess on the defensive line. Both Jonathan McKinley (Cal commit) and 2027 Miles Schirmer, who has offers from programs like Notre Dame, Texas, Washington and USC, lead a very talented front seven along with 305-pound behemoth Benjamin Tameifuna (Eastern Washington commit).

Composite High School Football Rankings Nos. 11-25

11. Corner Canyon(Utah) (2-0)
12. Bergen Catholic (N.J.) (0-0)
13. St. Thomas Aquinas(Fla.) (0-1)
14. Mission Viejo(Calif.) (1-0)
15. American Heritage (Fla.) (1-0)

16. Sierra Canyon(Calif.) (1-0)
17. East St. Louis (Ill.) (0-0)
18. Milton(Ga.) (1-1)
19.Grimsley(N.C.) (1-0)
20.DeMatha Catholic(Md.) (0-0)

21. St. Joseph’s Prep School(Pa.) (0-1)
22. Thompson(Ala.) (1-0)
23. Southlake Carroll(Texas) (0-0)
24. DeSoto(Texas) (0-0)
25. Edna Karr(La.) (0-0)