Why is IMG Academy our Preseason High School Football No. 1?
USA TODAY Sports national high school sports reporters Logan Newman and Alex Martin break it down.
- USA TODAY Sports highlights the top high school football matchups in the Southeast for the 2026 season.
- Several games are rematches from previous state playoffs or championship games.
- Many of the featured teams include nationally ranked players and future SEC talent.
In the lead up to the start of the 2026 high school football season, USA TODAY Sports is taking a look at all aspects surrounding the game entering the new campaign.
From the release of the preseason Super 25, the top teams in every state, the top player in every state and much more, there’s no shortage of storylines as we hurdle towards the new season.
One thing that is on everyone’s mind with just a few weeks remaining until games are played: What are the best games to go to?
Watch the best high school football games of the 2026 season via NFHS
Every state has its top matchups but some standout amongst the rest. The Southeast in particular has several massive in-state matchups that will define playoff runs. What are the best in-state matchups for each of the states in the Southeast?
The Southeast region includes programs and athletes from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Alabama: Thompson at Central
Date: Aug. 20, 7 p.m. CT
There’s nothing like a state playoff rematch, especially between a pair of programs that made it to the Class 7A semifinals last season in the AHSAA tournament. Central will be looking to avenge a 35-34 loss to the Warriors, which led 35-14 in the fourth before Central put up 20 straight points. A failed two-point conversion with under a minute to play denied Central an epic comeback bid but set the table for a highly anticipated regular season matchup in 2026.
Florida: St. Thomas Aquinas at Chaminade-Madonna
Date: Oct. 2, 6:30 p.m. ET
The Raiders and Lions are set to play for the third year in a row, with the series even at 1-1 after a 29-22 Chaminade win in 2024, and a 27-21 St. Thomas win last year. The Raiders enter 2026 ranked seventh in the country in the USA TODAY Super 25, while the Lions rank just outside the top 15 in the Southeast region. A lot can change between now and this Week 7 matchup, which will be hotly contested and a big game for St. Thomas when it comes to their national title aspirations.
Georgia: Gainesville at Buford
Date: Aug. 22, 5 p.m. ET
The reigning USA TODAY Super 25 National Champion will be treated like one right out of the gate, taking on Gainesville in primetime on ESPN. Gainesville is under new leadership, hiring Santavious Bryant away from Grayson in January. The Red Elephants went 12-3 last fall, while Buford ran the table and went 15-0, beating Carrollton 28-21 for the GHSA 6A title. It marks the second consecutive season the Wolves will play their home opener on ESPN.
Louisiana: Edna Karr vs. Ruston
Date: Sept. 19, 3 p.m. CT
In a game that will be played at the Caesar’s Superdome in the heart of New Orleans, this matchup is set to feature a pair of squads that have combined for eight state title appearances over the last four years. Karr is currently riding a 28-game win streak, but returns a grand total of four starters, making them slightly vulnerable compared to year’s past. Meanwhile, Ruston returns a ton of experience, including LSU tight end commit Ahmad Hudson, who is 6-foot-7, 240 pounds. Expect an afternoon clash in the Superdome between these two sides.
Mississippi: Brandon at Tupelo
Date: Aug. 28, 7 p.m. CT
Tupelo has had Brandon’s number in each of the last two meetings, including a 28-16 win in the MHSAA Class 7A Championship game in 2024, followed by a 36-15 win in the regular season opener in 2025. The Golden Wave was unable to repeat as state champions a season ago, falling 21-20 to Gulfport in a heartbreaker. It’ll also be the first look at quarterback Drew Dean, who transferred in from Oxford.
South Carolina: Dutch Fork at Spartanburg
Date: September 4, 7 p.m. ET
Dutch Fork has been a machine in South Carolina high school football, going 126-8-1 over the last decade. That’s included a 6-1 stretch against Spartanburg, which won 17-6 in 2023. That was considered a down year for the Silver Foxes, which finished 10-5 and still won a SCHSL Class 5A state title. Dutch Fork features Clemson defensive line commit Jaden Wuerth, three-star edge rusher Peyton Bishop, and three-star wide receiver Maleek Miller, while Spartanburg has Rutgers running back commit Trenton Lynch in the backfield.
Tennessee: Brentwood Academy at Baylor
Date: Aug. 20, 7 p.m. ET
Set to be the Game of the Year in the Volunteer State in Week 1, these two squads are stacked with SEC talent. Baylor five-star running back David Gabriel Georges just committed to Tennessee earlier this month, while Brentwood has a pair of Vols of their own in four-star receiver Kesean Bowman and four-star linebacker Kenneth Simon II. Ole Miss four-star quarterback commit Keegan Croucher will make his Brentwood debut after playing at Cheshire Academy in Connecticut. Will Brentwood be able to avenge a heartbreaking loss in last year’s Division II Class 3A state title game? Or will DGG go off for another huge game-winning touchdown run late in the fourth quarter?
Follow Sports Reporter Alex Martin on X at @NP_AlexMartin or via email: amartin@usatodayco.com. For additional high school sports coverage, be sure to follow @usatodayhss on Instagram and X.
