Ranking high school football teams beyond one geographic area is difficult, but longtime sports statistician Kenneth Massey has been doing it for years.
The so-called Massey Ratings are a “comprehensive, data-driven system used to rank sports teams based on their performance throughout the season,” according to On3.com. The system considers scores, location of game and strength of schedule to determine its ratings and rankings.
Here are the top high school football teams heading into the 2025 season, according to Massey, including the top 25 in the state, top 10 around Peoria, and top 10 nationally.
Stream IHSA football games on NFHS Network all season
Keep in mind these early-season rankings incorporate the previous two seasons as starting points and will improve as more games are played. On3.com says Massey Ratings need about five games to become fully accurate — but it’s fun to see where teams stand early in the year.
MaxPreps also does rankings for high school football teams. You can see the Illinois rankings here.
Massey Ratings: Top 25 Illinois high school football teams for 2025
Listed with national rank and 2024 record.
Massey Ratings: Top 10 Peoria-area high school football teams for 2025
Listed with state rank and 2024 record.
Massey Ratings: Top 10 high school football teams
Listed with national rank and 2024 record.
Stream IHSA football games on NFHS Network all season
Discount for NFHS Network through the Journal Star
Would you like to stream the IHSA football games? Journal Star readers can get a 25% discount on a yearly NFHS pass in 2025. Use promo code USATODAY25 when you go through our NFHS Network link before Sept. 7 to see top high school football action around Illinois.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: The top high school football teams in Illinois for 2025, according to the Massey Ratings
Reporting by Wes Huett, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
