Burning high school football questions for all 50 states

The high school football season will be underway in less than five weeks and every program around the country enters the fall facing some kind of question. Whether it’s as simple as who is starting at quarterback or something more intangible, powerhouses and cellar-dwellers alike all face some level of uncertainty as the season approaches.

Here are the biggest high school football questions in each state:

ALABAMA

Can Chip English build on the momentum off his interim season at Hoover?

Many wondered how the situation was going to play out last season after the ousting of then-head coach Drew Gilmer. All English did was lead the Bucs to a state semifinal appearance and now everyone in town has high expectations for 2025. The next level up is winning a state championship. With the talent Hoover has coming back, there’s no reason to believe the team won’t be there at the end.

ALASKA

Can Dimond run the table again to another ASAA Division I title?

After finishing 5-4 in 2023, the Linx made a massive turnaround last year and ran the table. Can they do it again for an encore?Bringing back quarterback Cayden Pili for his senior season definitely helps those odds.

ARIZONA

Will Liberty be able to three-peat in Arizona’s Open Division?

This is a tough question and an even tougher task. When you look at the field of teams the Lions will have to deal with, it’s no easy path.

ARKANSAS

Having graduated so many seniors, can Bryant stay atop the AAA’s 7A classification this fall?

The Hornets have been the class of Arkansas high school football for some time, but enter the season having graduated a ton of key contributors from last year. Despite the bevy of graduations, it’s hard to see Bryant falling off, even though teams like Bentonville are right on their heels.

CALIFORNIA

Who is starting at quarterback for Mater Dei?

We have predicted that Minnesota pledge Furian Inferrera will get the nod over Wisconsin commit Ryan Hopkins but predictions are just that. Having two stud quarterbacks is both a blessing and a curse. It should be an interesting preseason for the Monarchs.

COLORADO

How will Cherry Creek fare against Florida’s Cardinal Mooney?

Just because it’s Florida versus Colorado doesn’t mean this is a complete mismatch. Cherry Creek won Colorado’s Class 5A title last season and brings back many of its starters from a season ago. Expect this matchup to be one of the better interstate battles.

CONNECTICUT

How will Staples‘ new coaching staff all come into place?

The Wreckers have seen some change on their coaching staff and should have an interesting 2025 season. First-year head coach Matty Jacowleff takes over and he’s bringing over offensive coordinator Nick Chacho. With new pieces on the staff, how it all comes together will be an interesting watch for one of Connecticut’s top high school football programs.

DELAWARE

How important was it to Middletown to play the state’s most difficult schedule?

When looking at the Cavaliers’ schedule, you have to wonder if it will hinder them when it comes playoff time. Coming off winning a state championship, based on the Massey Ratings, Middletown could go 0-3 to start the season and would need some feel-good wins to even out the losses.

FLORIDA

How long does this Teddy Bridgewater situation go on at Miami Northwestern?

I think we’ve all read something regarding Teddy Bridgewater’s suspension at Miami Northwestern. The school hasn’t been hit with any sanctions or penalties but it went ahead and suspended the head coach anyways. How long is this supposed to go on? A couple weeks? A few games? The entire season?

GEORGIA

How is Milton‘s transition going from Luke Nickel to Derrick Baker at quarterback?

Whenever a program graduates a quarterback like Luke Nickel, it’s not unrealistic to think that it might take a small step back the following season. Not for the Eagles. Derrick Baker transferred in from Florida’s St. Thomas Aquinas and that should put Ben Reaves’ club right back in the driver’s seat to compete with anyone in the state.

HAWAII

What will life post-Sterling Carvalho be like for Kahuku?

Hawaii’s top high school football team decided to make a change in the offseason and parted ways with Sterling Carvalho as the head coach. Carvalho had led the program to four-straight state final appearances and owned a 59-18 record. Seeing what Kahuku will do after his time as lead man is the state’s top storyline heading into the season.

IDAHO

Will Fruitland get out of the opening round of the playoffs this year?

Now most teams we have on this list are state title contenders, but this one popped up because an Idaho team with a four-star talent is somewhat rare. Kelvin Obot, a four-star Utah commit, returns for his senior season and after a first round exit last season, we just can’t see Fruitland doing that again.

ILLINOIS

With Dierre Hill Jr. off to Oregon, who will lead the state in rushing this fall?

The name that should lead the stat lines every Friday night in the rushing department is running back Aaron Stewart. As a junior last year, Stewart ended with 2,465 yards for the Warren Township Blue Devils and it’s hard to not see him breaking that number and then some.

INDIANA (Brownsburg Bulldogs)

If Brownsburg beats Archbishop Spalding (Md.) to start the season, do they go undefeated?

We say yes to this one. A win of this magnitude for the Bulldogs would help propel them through the rest of the season.

IOWA

Can Grundy Center continue its 39-game win streak?

The Spartans handily won the IHSAA Class 1A state championship last year and adding another 13 victories is a distinct possibility.

KANSAS

Will Carter Hajek break 3,000 yards rushing for Nemaha Central?

After the kind of season Hajek had in 2024, this seems like it’s totally reachable for the 5-foot-11, 215-pound tailback. Hajek rushed for 2,382 yards and scored 40 times last season. Breaking the 3,000-yard mark looks possible along with a deep playoff run.

KENTUCKY

Can Louisville Male leapfrog either Valdosta (Ga.) or Washington (Ohio) as the country’s winningest program?

This would take some losing on the part of the two programs ahead of them, but Louisville Male could be in the top two at season’s end. Valdosta always plays one of the toughest schedules in South Georgia and Washington has no easy slate out of Ohio. The Bulldogs won nine games in 2024 and a 10-plus win season could put them at the top of the list.

LOUISIANA

What kind of atmosphere will it be when Edna Karr hosts Florida’s American Heritage?

The last time a team out of a Louisiana hosted a Florida power, Berkeley Prep routed Arch Manning‘s Isidore Newman. Fast forward to this fall and Edna Karr welcomes in one of Florida’s top 2026 quarterbacks in Dia Bell, a Texas Longhorns commit, and American Heritage. We’ve got this game circled on our calendar.

MAINE

How does Maine commit Cordell Jones transition to quarterback at Portland?

Jones played just about everywhere for the MPA Class A state champs last season and now the Bulldogs are turning to him to play quarterback. With the athlete coming off a banner season in winning the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year, Jones making the transition to playing quarterback full-time shouldn’t be a difficult process.

MARYLAND

Who replaces Malik Washington at quarterback for Archbishop Spalding?

Get to know the name Blake Howell as he returns the most experience from last season to the position. Howell completed 13-of-17 passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns in limited action behind Washington.

MASSACHUSETTS

Will Xaverian Brothers complete the three-peat and notch championship No. 13?

It won’t be easy with some of the key pieces of the first two championships having graduated. What will make it very possible is having quarterback Will Wood back the next two seasons. Wood has offers from Coastal Carolina, East Carolina, Syracuse, Rhode Island, UConn and UMass.

MICHIGAN

Can any team stop Catholic Central from being Michigan’s top team?

There’s really one team we continue to keep our eye on other than Detroit Catholic Central and that’s Cass Technical. The kind of talent these two powerhouses have out of the region speaks to the level they’re at as programs. Expect the two teams to meet in the postseason again.

MINNESOTA

Does South Dakota State commit Kaden Harney guide Maple Grove to a repeat?

After the kind of season Maple Grove had last year, running the table to an undefeated season, Harney’s talents back under center should alleviate any concerns. Harney has already committed to South Dakota State and his ability to to focus solely on the 2025 season should do wonders.

MISSISSIPPI

How will Brandon do now that Sam Williams is coaching in Alabama?

It’ll be quite a transition for the Bulldogs as they lose a head coach who had led the program to state championships in three of the last four seasons. Winning is embedded in the Brandon football program so we them doing just fine despite Williams departure.

MISSOURI

Will five-star Jackson Cantwell help lead Nixa to the elusive state title?

Last year looked like it might be the season Nixa would pull it off. Then De Smet Jesuit crashed the party. With Cantwell heading into his senior season, this will be the five-star lineman’s last shot to take home a Missouri state championship.

MONTANA

Who will be the state’s top signal caller when its all said and done?

CJ Johnson of Billings West comes right to mind after his 2024 campaign. He threw for 2,950 yards last season, completing 216-of-324 passes and 25 scores. Johnson is easily a candidate to surpass 3,000 yards this fall.

NEBRASKA

Is anything less than an undefeated season acceptable for Millard South?

We did our season prediction piece on the Patriots and we have them running the table an route to the first-ever state championship repeat in program history. On paper, Millard South should win every game on its schedule from start to finish. With the kind of talent they have, as long as they stay healthy, going undefeated should be the only record that satisfies them.

NEVADA

Can Bishop Gorman seriously contend for a national title?

Because of the teams they schedule, the Gaels will always be in the mix when it comes to the national conversation. Will they win a national title? We don’t see it happening but we’ve been wrong before.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

After coming up short last year, what will it take for Bedford to win the Division I state title?

Always considered one of the state’s best, the Bulldogs came up short in a shellacking in last year’s NHIAA Division I state championship game against Pinkerton. With an experienced offensive line, anchored by 6-foot-3, 290-pound Connor Flaherty, Bedford will be certainly back in the hunt and should have the talent to win it all.

NEW JERSEY

How excited is Don Bosco Prep for its interstate matchup in Texas?

When the Ironmen made the official announcement back in January that they would be the first team from New Jersey to travel down to the Lone Star State to take on the Melissa Cardinals, it definitely brought excitement around New Jersey. Don Bosco Prep looks to take its brand of ball down to Texas and hopes to make an impression on folks that New Jersey can play some good football as well.

NEW MEXICO

What does La Cueva‘s offense look like post-Cameron Dyer?

After back-to-back state championships, the Bears now have to figure out offensively life without Dyer, who has graduated and is now at Arizona State. Without their dual-threat quarterback, La Cueva’s offense might not have the kind of pop they have had the last couple of seasons.

NEW YORK

Would you say Messiah Hampton is one of the best players to have ever come from the area?

Have you been to Rochester? It’s not exactly bustling with high school football talent, but Hampton has shined in a city that’s famously known for their ‘garbage plates.’ Hampton is an Oregon commitment and known as one of the country’s top wide receivers. To ask and respond with Hampton is one of the region’s best high school football players ever is no far stretch whatsoever.

NORTH CAROLINA

How will Grimsley replace a player like Bryce Davis on defense?

I mean, you don’t exactly replace a player like Davis with just anyone. The Duke signee notched a team-high 27 sacks last season and was unstoppable on the defensive line for the NCHSAA Class 4A state champions. Someone that could be a candidate to be the team’s new sack leader is 2027 edge rusher Jaiden Wardlaw, who tallied 19 tackles for loss and four sacks in 2024.

NORTH DAKOTA

Will Sheyenne repeat as Division III champs?

Graduation hit the Mustangs somewhat hard, but the program has enough in the cupboard to make another deep run in NDHSAA D-III playoffs.

OHIO

Can Matt Ponatoski lead Archbishop Moeller to a state championship in his senior season?

When Kentucky commit Matt Ponatoski flashes back to last football season, the thoughts of how it ended have to come back. The Fighting Crusaders fell in the Division I state championship in a 28-14 loss to Olentangy Liberty and are looking to finish strong this fall.

OKLAHOMA

What will the energy be like at H.A. Chapman Stadium in the Bixby–Owasso opener?

In college stadium that fits around 30,000 fans, the Oklahoma high school football season will start off with a bang when the Spartans and Rams clash. A rematch from last year’s Class 6AI state championship game, thousands will flock to this contest and the kind of environment at the University of Tulsa‘s home venue should be nothing less than electric.

OREGON

Behind Washington State commit Hudson Kurland, can Lake Oswego upend West Linn for the Class 6A Open title?

Having one of, if not the, top signal caller in the state always helps your cause as a football program. Kurland threw for over 1,500 yards and 12 touchdowns last season and the Washington State commit looks ready to go out with a bang in his senior year.

PENNSYLVANIA

Will anyone seriously challenge the St. Joseph’s for the PIAA’s Class 6A state title?

This seems unlikely because of the abundance of talent the Hawks welcome back, especially on offense. From having Jett Harrison, son of NFL Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison, back to quarterback Charlie Foulke to Penn State commit Alex Haskell. Yeah, these guys seem almost a lock for another title.

RHODE ISLAND

How does Classical fair offensively post-Jordan Duke?

Trying to figure where the Purple offense goes from here without a player of Duke’s caliber is tricky. Duke compiled nearly 2,000 yards and 24 touchdowns last season. Classical will likely go to the air more with quarterback Parker Howley back after throwing for 2,540 yards and 29 touchdowns.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Can Dutch Fork win a fourth-straight state championship?

This burning question comes with knowing that the team is in a little bit of a re-tooling after last year’s run. Like many powerhouse programs in every state, Dutch Fork won’t be down for too long. Expect this team to run through the regular season en route to another state football crown.

SOUTH DAKOTA

Does Tate Gerdes lead Lennox back to the 11A state title game?

After the kind of season Gerdes had for the Orioles, a return to the 11A championship game is well within reach. The athlete totaled over 1,200 all-purpose yards and 18 touchdowns on offense, making him one of South Dakota’s top offensive threats.

TENNESSEE

How will first-year head coach Barron Chandler fair at West?

Its been a messy offseason for the Rebels and moving on from former head coach Lamar Brown after multiple assistants were hit with felony abuse charges. Now enter Barron Chandler as the program’s next head coach and he will be tasked in leading one of the state’s better football programs. Chandler has a tough task in front of him in keeping the team focused on the season.

TEXAS

Can this North Crowley team be better than last year’s Class 6A-Division II state title winner?

If there’s one thing for certain when speaking with North Crowley head coach Ray Gates recently, he loves the defense he’s bringing back this fall. He believes this unit could be the best he’s ever had. Going back-to-back is incredibly difficult in Texas high school football, but if they’re going to do it, they will behind a feisty defensive group.

UTAH

Is Corner Canyon the undisputed best team in the state?

Having players back like Texas A&M commit Heleman Casuga and Minnesota commit Kai Meza makes this a dangerous offense. Not many teams throughout the state will be able keep up with Corner Canyon this fall.

VERMONT

Can Rutland upend Champlain Valley Union for the state’s top spot?

The Raiders are not far off and could be in the running for the VPA Division I title, but getting by CVU is obviously the toughest ask. Now with CVU going through a transition with a new head coach, this could open the window of opportunity for Rutland to get back to the proverbial mountain top.

VIRGINIA

Which game is Varina looking forward to the most?

We know high school football coaches hate answering this question, but some may not shy away from it. For the Blue Devils, this matchup is titanic when it comes to Virginia high school football. Varina will welcome in nationally-ranked Grimsley into town on Oct. 3. It’s not every year that a Virginia team takes on a national powerhouse, but the Blue Devils will get a chance in early October to show what they’ve got on a national stage.

WASHINGTON

How does Gavin Kralik do in his return to the sidelines at Eatonville?

Kralik returns to the Cruisers’ sidelines after a couple seasons away from football. Having had success in his prior stop, we see Kralik’s second stint going smoothly for Eatonville this fall.

WEST VIRGINIA

How will Martinsburg cope with replacing Marshall signee Koi Fagan?

The state’s top high school football team played with house money every week having the best player on the field every Friday night in quarterback Koi Fagan. Welp, Fagan is now off to Marshall and that leaves a nice void for Martinsburg under center. Who steps up into his place? Junior Brian Dick looks to be the next in line after rushing for 776 yards last season.

WISCONSIN

How does Matt McDonnell do in his first season as head coach at Cedarburg?

Replacing a Wisconsin coaching legend like Brian Leair is no easy task, but McDonnell decided to take that on when he took the job during the offseason. With the kind of success Moraine had at Kettle Moraine, he should do fine at Cedarburg.

WYOMING

How far does Sheridan push its 43-game win streak?

There’s a laundry list of teams that have longstanding win streaks on the line this high school football season and Sheridan is one of them. Do the Broncos continue and surpass the 50-win mark? With the schedule they have lined up, its a strong possibility they march into 2026 with their winning streak intact.