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The high school football season is officially here!
This week games kick off and we’ll be busy at games from Thursday to Saturday. To prepare for those games, we need to know just which of our area teams stand out above the rest entering the year.
The 615 Preps staff has put together a list of the top five large, medium, and small class teams in our coverage area following last week’s action. Going forward the rankings will be based off of results, head-to-head matchups and current form for teams.
Large Class teams include 6A and Division II-AAA. Medium Class teams include 5A, 4A, and Division II-AA. Small Class teams include 3A, 2A, 1A, and Division II-A, and each grouping has roughly 30 teams in it.
Large Class
1. Oakland: The Patriots have ruled 6A since its inception and that trend looks to continue into 2025. Adding 4-star Tennessee commitment Joel Wyatt to an already loaded roster led by Ole Miss pledge Craig Tutt just isn’t fair.
2. Ravenwood: Will Hester may be gone but the Raptors turned to a familiar face in Ricky Rodriguez to lead the program. He takes over a senior-heavy squad led by a pair of future Division I quarterbacks in Femi Babalola and Maverick Chance.
3. CPA: The back-to-back DII-AA champs have not only moved up a class, but they play a schedule that could arguably be the hardest any team in the state has ever played. Thankfully they return a solid core led by
4. Riverdale: The Warriors may have lost some key pieces from last year’s team but they added more than enough in the offseason. Two of those additions, sophomore quarterback Gavin Hampton and Loretto receiver transfer Corben Reynolds, should contend as one of the MidState’s best pass-catching duos.
5. Ensworth: Don’t expect a drop off from the Tigers this season. Justin Hopkins leads a secondary that may be the best in the state and Taylor Hasselbeck will run an experienced offensive unit ready to take a leap towards another gold ball.
The rest of the top 10
6. Brentwood Academy
7. Blackman
8. Green Hill
9. Father Ryan
10. MBA
Medium Class
1. BGA: Year 1 of the Bobby Bentley era was an overwhelming success for the Wildcats. Returning stars like Nate Fleming and Kaedyn Marable while adding other pieces is why many tab BGA as this year’s DII-AA favorite.
2. FRA: Last year the Panthers came up just seven points short of a DII-AA title game appearance. Led by what is considered by many as the best junior class in the state, the Panthers are ready for that next step.
3. Page: Stars like Brenden Anes, Eric Hazzard and William Wiebush may be gone, but this year’s group may be the deepest Charles Rathbone has had in his tenure. Knight Wilson and Sean Cunningham lead what should be another standout defensive unit while an offensive line led by Jake Rathbone and Jordan Curl opens up things on the opposite side of the ball.
4. Springfield: Last season’s postseason run set up what could be a special season for the Yellow Jackets. Kason Woodson now has a full season under his belt as their starting quarterback and sophomore sensation Jermaine Cobbins should be the best player on the field every night.
5. Beech: How last season ended should only motivate the Buccaneers. They have one of the state’s best offensive line units led by Penn State commitment Jack Fuchs blocking for a potential Mr. Football candidate in senior back Chelton Swafford.
The rest of the top 10
6. Pearl-Cohn
7. Pope John Paul II
8. Portland
9. Centennial
10. Macon County
Small Class
1. Nashville Christian: Five-star Georgia quarterback commitment Jared Curtis and TCU running back pledge TJ Ward lead a roster that would be the favorite in multiple classes this year. They put the state on notice last season and appear even stronger in 2025.
2. East Nashville: The Eagles are down a class and return a roster that was a game shy of making it back to another Class 3A title game in 2024. The running back duo of Kinnie Fuller and KJ Johnson is as good as any team in the state.
3. East Robertson: Offensively the Indians are stacked thanks to players like quarterback Kason Young and do-it-all athlete Cade Brooks running the show. Brooks will also be important on the defensive side of the ball while Tennessee EDGE pledge Zach Groves looks to cap his career with a gold ball.
4. Friendship Christian: Consistency has been the name of the game for the Commanders over the last decade and this year they should again contend for a state title. The addition of former Watertown quarterback Blake Waldorf instantly gives them a leg up over most other DII-A teams.
5. Gordonsville: It feels like every year the Tigers have continued to build and 2025 may be the year they take that next step towards another state title.
The rest of the top 10
6. White House Heritage
7. DCA
8. MTCS
9. Sycamore
10. Eagleville
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