Top 25 Florida high school football preseason rankings (7/23/2024)

IMG tops Chaminade-Madonna once again for the No. 1 in our 2024 Florida Preseason High School Football State Rankings; Where is your team ranked?

IMG Academy at Ben Davis Indiana football 9-8-23 / Tyler Hart

It’s that time of the year, everyone. High school football practices begin July 29th and that means the gridiron is upon us.

Preseason high school football games kickoff throughout the state of Florida starting on Aug. 16, with the regular season kicking off on Aug. 21-23.

The No. 1 team in the Sunshine State is the IMG Academy Ascenders followed by the Chaminade-Madonna Lions. As you'll see throughout this list, South Florida is well represented once again.

Here’s the complete breakdown of Florida's elite high school football teams, heading into the 2024 season, as we see it.

2024 SBlive Preseason Football Top 25 Florida high school football rankings

1. IMG Academy

Billy Miller has a star-studded cast of players once again and plenty of talent has transferred in the recent weeks. Miami (FL) commit Gavin Nix and Ohio State commit London Merritt head up what will be one of the top front seven defenses in the entire country.

2. Chaminade-Madonna

Matt Christopher

We will find out a lot about this group come Aug. 24th when they face California power St. John Bosco. Having the likes of quarterback Zac Katz, wide receivers Jabari Brady, Koby Howard and Jansen Lopez all transfer in makes this Lions' offense extremely potent.

3. Cocoa

How can anyone not be impressed with what the Tigers did last season? A group for all intent and purposes, should've been undefeated and rolled to the Class 2S state championship. They bring back qarterback Brady Hart (Michigan commit) along with wide receiver Jayvan Boggs (Missouri commit), making for a dynamic offense.

4. Miami Central

Jan Hendry

Jube Joseph and the Rockets have been hard at work off NW 95th Street. The Rockets weren't pleased whatsoever on how 2023 ended and have the pieces to make a state run in Class 3A. Penn State commitment Bekkam Kritza will be the team's starting quarterback and it solidifies the Rockets' most important position.

5. St. Thomas Aquinas

Matt Christopher

We are not sleeping on Roger Harriott's Raiders by no means, but they have some questions on offense. Tons of yardage at the wide receiver position has graduated, though, it doesn't mean the cupboard is bare. Maryland commitment Travares Daniels II and defensive edge rusherTrevor Sommers (Pitt commit) heads up what will be a talented defensive front seven.

6. Berkeley Prep

Matt Christopher

Don't seem too surprised that the Cinderella of last year's Class 2M state championship are high up on this list. These guys are loaded again under Dominik Ciao and his players want to win him another state crown. Look for 5-star prospect Dallas Golden (Notre Dame commit) and underrated running back Joseph Troupe (Temple commit) to lead the way for the Buccaneers.

7. Miami Norland

Matt Christopher

We know the last ime we saw the Vikings was back in the Class 2M state championship game suffering a stunning loss to Berkeley Prep (see below). Miami Norland has pick themselves back up and have just continued to work. Quarterback Ennio Yapoor is coming off a strong junior season and looks to add to his Dade County records he continues to pile up on.

8. Plantation American Heritage

Matt Christopher

An offense that features players like quarterback Dia Bell (Texas commitment), wide receiver Malachi Toney (Miami commitment) and running back Byron Louis is hard to ignore. Add in the Patriots had the fastest track and field team in the state, comprised of football players, and you see why Mike Smith's bunch is in the mix.

9. Lakeland

Matt Christopher

There's a lot of talent on this Dreadnaughts team and they could easily see themselves climb up this list after a Week 1 bout against No. 4 Miami Central. 2026 star linebacker Malik Morris looks like he could be playing collegiately right now and is joined by USF commitment Jermichael Gillis, who transferred in from St. Frances Academy (Maryland).

10. Mandarin

It would be a bit crazy not to have these guys somewhere on the list because of the amount of firepower coming back on offense especially. Florida State commitment Tramell Jones guides the offense and has 5-star wide receiver Jaime Ffrench back to throw to. The Mustangs will be competitive with anyone they face in 2024.

11. Homestead

Somehow the Homestead Broncos get lost in the sauce when you look at all of the talented teams spread across South Florida. Ronnie Thornton Jr. has a very talented group coming back, led by 4-star wide receiver Cortez Mills (Oklahoma commit). Throw in Montclair (New Jersey) transfer Malachi 'Bubba' Lewis at quarterback and you should be seeing some fireworks from Harris Field this fall.

12. Bishop Verot

Seeing Carter Smith (Michigan commitment) operate the Vikings' offense this spring certainly opened some eyes. This team is versatile across the board and can get after it defensively. Seeing how they played against Columbus and Sarasota Riverview, Bishop Verot is a team on the rise this fall.

13. Sanford Seminole

Sanford Seminole head coach Karl Calhoun played linebacker during his days with the Seminoles. Now heading into Year 2, he's got himself some heavy hitters in the front seven, including Florida State commitment Ethan Prichard at linebacker. Quarterback Michaal Clayton, offensive lineman Max Buchanan (Miami commit) and utility dynamo David Parks (Howard commitment) round out a stout offensive unit.

14. Lake Mary

It all starts on August 23rd, 7 p.m. at Cardinal Gibbons High School against the Chiefs for the Rams. An opportunity for Lake Mary on a national stage will show exactly where this team is at. Quarterback Noah Grubbs (Notre Dame commitment) begins his pursuit of a state title and possibly chasing after the state's single season mark for touchdown passes.

15. St. Augustine

There's no denying the offensive firepower this Yellow Jackets' team has. Having quarterback Locklan Hewlett (USF commitment) along with wide receiver Carl Jenkins Jr. (UCF commitment) makes for plenty of touchdowns through the air this fall. Expect this team to contend for a state crown in Class 4A.

16. Armwood

Are the Hawks back in the state championship conversation? We believe so in Class 6A, as Evan Davis has arguably one of his most talented teams to date. Sophomore quarterback Rhys Brush has had a great off-season and he has a nice new target in Georgia commit Tyler Williams to throw to.

17. Venice

Hard to think the Indians could be anywhere below th top 15, but the spring performance left a little bit more to be desired if John Peacock's bunch wants to be state championship contenders in Class 7A. Adding stud wide receiver Winston Watkins and getting back Jamarice Wilder to the backfield makes life a little easier.

18. Jones

As always, the Fightin' Tigers have put together a very tough 2024 schedule, which includes the likes of Auburndale, Edgewater, Kissimmee Osceola and Lake Wales. 2026 quarterback Dereon Coleman (Miami commitment) is back at the controls with wide receiver Vernell Brown III (Florida commit).

19. Buchholz

Mark Whittemore hops back into the seat as head coach of the Bobcats after just one season away it will look like they haven't missed a beat. Having an experienced quarterback in Trace Johnson at the controls certainly helps the transition out. Definitely North Central Florida's team to beat in the region.

20. Tampa Bay Tech

There's quarterbacks galore it seems like over at Tampa Bay Tech. Logan Rogers comes back to compete against Hillsborough transfer Darryon Jones for the starting role. Having a player like Dallas Wilson (Oregon) to throw to does make things a tad bit easier. Loads of talent for Jayson Roberts' crew over in East Hillsborough.

21. Columbus

We may seem hard on Dave Dunn's Explorers, but that's because the bar has been set by Columbus themselves pretty high. Winning back-to-back Class 4M state championships will do that to ya, but they return talent and did inherit some as well. Bryce Fitzgerald is certainly one of the state's best overall skill players and returns this fall.

22. Monarch

If there's any question about the Knights being one of South Florida's better programs this fall, just take a look at some of the stars they've got. One of them is defensive end Romando Johnson, a West Virginia commit, heading up the front seven. Antwaun Parham (Tulane commit) leads the offensive charge at wide receiver. Monarch was a Class 4M state semifinalist last season and will be in the hunt in Class 6A.

23. Mainland

It's Year 1 of the Jerrime Bell era over at Mainland and many believe it's a wait-and-see with the Buccaneers. Coming off winning the Class 3S state championship over St. Augustine, this Mainland club lost a lot of good pieces from a year ago. UCF commit Christian Hudson anchors another talented defensive front seven.

24. South Sumter

Stop scratching your head on why the Raiders areon this list. This team is plenty deep with talent if you take an actual look at some of the dudes on it. Hard hitting linebacker Malakhi Boone (UCF commit) leads the way and is joined by safety Rashad Johnson (Georgia commit) and defensive back George Mullins (Michigan State commit). These guys are pretty good.

25. Plant

Possibly one of the most underrated teams in the state because of the lack of big names dotted across the roster. Make no misake about it, the Plant Panthers have plenty of talent when you take a deeper look into what they've got. Florida commit Waltez Clark will play at runnin back and linebacker along with Pitt commit Max Hunt at tight end. Hunt is joined by Tripp Brown and quarterback JC Mirasola to round out a sound offensive unit.

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On the outside looking in: Apopka, Bartram Trail, Bartow, Benjamin, Bishop Moore, Bolles, Bradford, Cardinal Newman, Cardinal Gibbons, Cardinal Newman, Carrollwood Day, Choctawhatchee, Clearwater Central Catholic, Coconut Creek, Creekside, DeLand, Delray Beach Atlantic, Dunbar, Eau Gallie, Edgewater, Escambia, Golden Gate, Kissimmee Osceola, Lincoln, First Baptist Academy, FSU High, Hawthorne, Jesuit, Lake Wales, Manatee, Miami Booker T. Washington, Miami Edison, Miami Northwestern, Miami Palmetto, Mitchell, Monarch, Niceville, Naples, Newberry, Palm Beach Central, Pensacola Catholic, Ponte Vedra, Port Charlotte, Raines, Sarasota Booker, Sarasota Riverview, Sebring, Treasure Coast, Trinity Catholic, Union County, Vanguard, Vero Beach, Western, West Orange, Williston, Wiregrass Ranch, Zephyrhills

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-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivefl