Preseason 2026 Kentucky High School Football Top 25 Rankings

We continue our race around the country through all 50 states when it comes to our favorite read before anything ever happens: Preseason rankings. Next up in the marathon of states when it comes to high school football preseason rankings is Kentucky, the Bluegrass State. Surprise, surprise as the Trinity Shamrocks are coming off another state championship and sit atop of the preseason rankings. Here’s how Massey ranked the best Kentucky high school football teams in the Bluegrass State before the season begins. The Massey Ratings, officially used during the BCS era, is a model that ranks sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule, and margin of victory. 1. Trinity Shamrocks When it comes to Kentucky high school football teams in the Bluegrass State, no teams matchup to the Shamrocks, which have won 30 state championships in program history. The Shamrocks ended this past season with a 13-2 record and finishing ranked No. 1 in the final 2025 Kentucky High School Football Massey Rankings. The team returns Zane Johnson, a Buffalo three-star quarterback commit, who has won three state titles as a Shamrock. Last year for Trinity, the 6-foot-1, 205-pound signal caller totaled 2,925 all-purpose yards, 53 touchdowns, and only three picks. 2. St. Xavier Tigers It could be a hard road back towards the top of the Kentucky high school football world for St. Xavier as they graduated a number of key players at starting positions, which makes the Tigers a team that could see their ranking drop in the early portion of the season. St. Xavier will look to replace the top yardage producers at the quarterback, running back and wide receiver positions. Looking to take over behind center for the Tigers this fall is Class of 2027 quarterback Will Burmester (6’2, 200), who saw minimal time last season for St. Xavier. 3. Boyle County Rebels Boyle County was able to win a seventh Kentucky high school football Class 4A state championship, which came down to a controversial call. The call continued their hopes of coming away with the title, as they ended up defeating Franklin County in a 34-0 decision. Now the Rebels are back to try once again to make a deep playoff run behind an experienced group, led by the talents of 4-star tight end Seneca Driver (Oklahoma commit) and another TE in 6-foot-6 Maddox Hager. With quarterback Jhet Raleigh back behind center, the experience and talent is there to win a eighth state title this fall. 4. Christian Academy of Louisville Centurions There might not be a group of players in the state of Kentucky as talented as Christian Academy of Louisville might be, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The Centurions bring better one of the top defensive line units, led by 2028 5-star lineman Kellan Hall. The 6-foot-4, 255-pound defender proved through 11 games on Christian Academy’s defense en route to a Class 3A state championship as Hall racked up 53 tackles, 17.5 of those going for a loss and recorded 6.5 sacks. Expect another deep Kentucky high school football playoff run for this squad behind the talent on both sides of the ball. 5. Frederick Douglass Broncos Potentially there’s a lot to like about this Frederick Douglass team as they bring back a number of Division I, Power 4 prospects to the team. Among them are 2027 three-stars in safety Demond Green and linebacker Tacori Fields. Another interesting prospect to watch out for with the the Broncos this fall is rising junior running back Ron’Rekus Barbour, who was the team’s leading rusher from a year ago. With the talent on the defensive side of the ball, it’s easy to see why Frederick Douglass breaks the Top 5. 6. South Warren Spartans7. Dupont Manual Crimson8. Owensboro Red Devils9. Ryle Raiders10. Covington Catholic Colonels 11. Corbin Redhounds12. Highlands Bluebirds13. Woodford County Yellow Jackets14. Louisville Male Bulldogs15. Bowling Green Purples 16. Madison Central Indians17. Paducah Tilghman Blue Tornado18. Scott County Cardinals19. Pulaski County Maroons20. Franklin County Flyers 21. Johnson Central Golden Eagles22. Lexington Christian Academy Eagles 23. Ballard Bruins24. Owensboro Catholic Aces25. Bryan Station Defenders For Kentucky high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the Empire State, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the Kentucky high school football excitement across the state.