High school football’s biggest questions entering 2026 season

With just two weeks remaining in July, that means the high school football season is quickly approaching.

For many teams around the country, we have a good idea of what to expect from them the moment they kick off their seasons. Others though, there are still some unknowns.

Between long winning streaks, coaches closing in on major milestones, recruiting battles, eligibility decisions and so much more, the 2026 high school football is bound to have its fair share of ups and downs. What are the biggest storylines going into the season?

Here are our 12 biggest questions entering the 2026 high school football season.

1. Where will John Meredith III, Colton Nussmeier play their senior years?

The biggest news out of Texas in the last month was Texas’ University Interscholastic League (UIL) rejecting both Meredith and Nussmeier’s appeal to play after both transferred schools before their senior seasons. While both can go back and play at their former schools, that scenario seems unlikely, leaving only a few options, including transferring out of the state to play somewhere else.

2. Will Alcoa (TN) add to its nation’s-best 11 straight state championships?

No team in the country has a better streak of state championship wins than the Tornadoes. After winning 10 straight TSSAA Class 3A championships, they moved up a class last year and won the Class 4A title. The favorite in their class again after returning several key starters, another team ending Alcoa’s streak anytime soon would prove to be a massive upset.

3. Will Garden City (NY) keep its winning streak alive and finish with an eighth consecutive unbeaten season?

In 2019 the Trojans finished the year 10-2 and capped their season with a loss. They have not lost a game since then. Last season they completed their sixth consecutive unbeaten season, winning by an average 33.4 points but were challenged in their state championship game against East Islip before winning 10-7.

4. Can Southside (AL) sophomore quarterback Kole Moody lead the nation in passing yards again?

There are a lot of great quarterback prospects all over the country but none of them touched the numbers that Moody hit during his freshman season. Moody completed 75% of his passes for an astonishing 60 touchdowns and nation-leading 5,350 yards. Returning several key weapons outside, the 2026 season could be even better.

5. Will Randle (TX) senior running back Landen Williams-Callis become the next 10,000-yard rusher in Texas high school football history?

The 10,000-Yard Club is a prestigious club in Texas as only four players in the state’s history have surpassed that mark. Williams-Callis, a five-star running back in the 2027 class, could be that next man up. After rushing for 3,502 yards as a junior, he enters his senior season with 7,554 rushing yards, needing 2,446 yards to hit 10,000 and 3,835 to break the record for most rushing yards in a career.

6. What programs come out on top in Georgia’s loaded Class 6A and 5A fields?

The top programs in Georgia typically reload rather than rebuild and that will likely be the case again this year. Georgia’s 7A field features programs like Buford, Carrollton Grayson and McEachern — all of which will figure into the state title mix. The 5A field isn’t any easier to figure out as Thomas County went unbeaten last year, but programs such as Langston Hughes, Rome and Gainesville are right in the mix.

7. Who comes out on top in Florida’s new Open Division?

This year marks the first of an eight-team Open Division for 11 sports across the Sunshine State. Football is one of those sports, meaning that a true state champion will be crowned at the end of the season. Just who comes out on top though? In an eight-team bracket that could feature the likes of St. Thomas Aquinas, Miami Northwestern, Chaminade and other notable powers, the season could end in any number of results.

8. Will new Waxahachie (TX) head coach Lawrence Williams lead the program to its first state title since 1992?

Playing in Texas’ highest classification, it’s not easy for a team to separate themselves from a group that typically features multiple teams that are nationally ranked by the end of the year. Williams and Waxahachie could be that next team up though as they return several key starters including five-star safety JayQuan Snell.

9. How many games will it take Edgar (WI) head coach Jerry Sinz to become the next coach to join the 500-win club?

Edgar has been one of the best programs in Wisconsin under Sinz and success in recent seasons has brought him within striking distance of win No. 500. In terms of active coaches, Sinz sits at No. 5 and is just four wins off of that historic 500th win. If the Wildcats start off the season like they have the last few years, a win at Mondovi on September 11 would be the day he hits that milestone.

10. Will Bishop Gorman, Mater Dei, or St. John Bosco come out of their triangle of games against each other unbeaten?

There’s not a year that goes by where Gorman, Mater Dei and Bosco don’t enter the season ranked nationally. The three schools have had their fair share of matchups against each other but this year, all three play one another during different points of the season. If one of them comes out of those games unblemished, there’s a good chance that they’ll be in the mix for national champion by the end of the year.

11. How will Mater Dei and St. John Bosco respond after Santa Margarita and Centennial overtook them last year?

The 2025 season was an anomaly when it came to the top teams in California as both Mater Dei and St. John Bosco finished lower in the final Super 25 rankings than both Santa Margarita and Centennial. Now that some time has passed, players have graduated and transfers have enrolled, 2026 may be the year that Mater Dei and St. John Bosco reestablishe themselves as the teams to beat in the Golden State.

12. Will Kemon Spell or David Gabriel Georges finish the season as the top running back in the class?

When it comes to the 2027 class, Georges and Spell are clear at the top when it comes to running back recruiting rankings. Spell, a Georgia commit, is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 11 overall prospect in the class and top back while Georges sits just a spot behind him. With more updates bound to happen as the season progresses, it should not come as a shock to any if both swap places a few more times.

Follow Sports Reporter Joe Spears on X at @joe_spears7 or via email: JSpears@usatodayco.com. For additional high school sports coverage, be sure to follow @usatodayhss on Instagram and X.