The 2026 Florida high school football season will have a different feel than any prior.
Not only are there fewer classes (six down from eight), which means new rivalries, but the Florida High School Athletic Association has added an Open Division.
The round-robin tournament will take the top eight ranked teams, regardless of classification, and have them play in their own playoff bracket this fall.
As the 2026 season approaches, the USA TODAY Florida Network is looking at each of the six classes to see which teams have the best chance of a getting into the Open Division, which teams are top contenders to lift the championship trophy in December and what playoff brackets could prove the most difficult.
With the dissolution of the rural class, new contenders have entered the fold for the Class 1A championship. Madison County and Hawthorne enter Class 1A both with Rural state titles in the last two years, while Carrollwood Day loads up a talented young roster that may bulldoze its way to Pitbull Stadium.
Open Division contenders
Carrollwood Day: A lot of things would have to break the Patriots’ way for them to earn one of the eight Open Division bids, but it’s not impossible. Both sides of the ball are littered with national recruits, highlighted by 4-star juniors Antonio Thomas Jr (EDGE), Zylen Littled (DL), and Derrell Hines Jr. (WR).
Florida state title contenders
Madison County: MadCo lost LJ Crumity along with most of last year’s senior-driven production, and the Cowboys have some tough matchups in the front half of the year. But the standard is high under head coach Price Harris, who has led this program to a Rural state title and deep playoff runs since joining his alma mater in 2022.
Hawthorne: The Hornets are always a threat under head coach Cornelius Ingram, who coached Hawthorne to a rural state championship last year. The Hornets have a talented roster this year, with North Carolina DL commit Kaiden Robinson-Vickers and FAU WR commit Dom Harvey primed for big senior campaigns.
Lakeland Christian: The Vikings could get through most of the regular season unscathed with UCF commit Ty MontsDeOca at center, Delaware commit AJ Truedell back after a 1,000 rushing yard season, and USF commit Brody Brenneman running the show at quarterback fresh off of a junior campaign that saw him toss for over 2,100 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Trinity Christian: Three-star prospects Adrian Williams (DL), Za’Khari Greene (CB), and Terrell Pinkney II (LB) make up an elite Trinity Christian defense that will take on some elite offenses this season. The Conquerors could be firing on all cylinders when it matters most come playoffs.
St. Petersburg Catholic: The Barons went undefeated last year before falling to eventual champion Cardinal Newman in the regional final, and have the tools for another deep run this year.
Toughest district
District 8: Carrollwood Day, Northside Christian, St. Petersburg Catholic, Zephyrhills Christian
Carrollwood Day lost to Cardinal Newman in the final four last year, and got there with a very young team that largely returns this season. St. Petersburg Catholic finished the season 12-1 and have retooled this offseason after a run to the regional final. Zephyrhills Christian and Northside Christian both took their lumps but bring in a talented young quarterbacks that could catch some defenses flat-footed.
Toughest region
Region 2
This region includes the above-mentioned District 8 with Carrollwood Day and St. Pete Catholic, as well as Community School of Naples (District 9), St. John Neumann (District 9), and Victory Christian (District 7), all of which won a playoff game last year — plus a much-improved Lakeland Christian (District 7).
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Who will win Florida high school football Class 1A? Our top contenders
Reporting by Nick Wilson and Jon Santucci, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Naples Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Nick Wilson and Jon Santucci, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida | USA TODAY Network
