Florida Leads Preseason HSFA 300 High School Football Rankings with 52 Nationally-Ranked Teams

Florida high school football flexed its muscles in the 2025 Preseason High School Football America 300. The Sunshine State placed 52 teams in HSFA’s national rankings, which are created with our proprietary algorithm.

IMG Academy, which won the HSFA national crown in 2020, leads the way at No. 5. The Ascenders will play seven teams that begin the season in the Top 300. Additionally, they’ll face The Hun School (New Jersey), last year’s No. 1 team in HSFA’s Prep Schools Top 10.

While Kickoff Classics don’t count on a team’s official record, IMG starts the year against No. 34 The First Academy (Orlando, Florida) on August 15.

Last season, the Ascenders finished No. 10 in our national rankings. Only once since 2015 has the program finished outside of our Top 10—back in 2021, when they ended at No. 13.

IMG National Team Rankings in HSFA National Rankings Through the Years

• 2024 – No. 10
• 2023 – No. 4
• 2022 – No. 8
• 2021 – No. 13
• 2020 – No. 1
• 2019 – No. 6
• 2018 – No. 5
• 2017 – No. 3
• 2016 – No. 3
• 2015 – No. 7

Falling in behind IMG is six-time Florida high school football state champ St. Thomas Aquinas at No. 10. The Raiders will get a big test in their season opener when they face five-time HSFA national champ Mater Dei (California) in the Broward County National Football Showcase on August 23.

Related: Complete HSFA 300

In all, six Florida teams are in the Top 25.

Reigning 7A champ Venice starts at No. 17. Like IMG, the Indians will face seven teams in the Preseason 300, and they’ll take on IMG on October 3.

Chaminade-Madonna, which has won four straight state crowns, begins at No. 19. The Lions will also test themselves in their opener, facing national power St. Frances Academy from Baltimore, Maryland, ranked No. 9 in America. The C-M/SFA game will also be part of the Broward County event.

Defending 4A champ American Heritage (Plantation) sits two notches behind C-M at No. 21. The Patriots will square off with No. 7 St. Joseph’s Prep (Pennsylvania) in the eight-game Broward County showcase.

Defending 3A champ Miami Northwestern, coached by former NFL quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, is the fifth team in the Top 25. The Bulls, who are No. 23 in the HSFA 300, will open against No. 20 Orange Lutheran (California).