2026 Alabama High School Football Rankings

With practices having opened across the state this week, and the first games slated for Aug. 20, the Alabama Sports Writers Association released its preseason high school football rankings for the 2026-27 season.

However, the rankings look a little little different this year thanks to the Alabama High School Athletic Association approving a new classification system for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 academic years.

Instead of the previous seven-class system, newly implemented for the fall were six classifications for public schools and two classifications for its private (independent) schools. Specifically, Class 7A was removed, while the largest 32 schools in the state were assigned to Class 6A. All play football.

Per the AHSAA, the remaining breakdown is Class 5A (64 schools); Class 4A (66); Class 3A (66); Class 2A (65); Class 1A (69); Private Class Double A (17); and Private Class Single A (43). Two associate members are also among the public schools membership along with one private school associate member, for a total of 425 high schools.

The ASWA is a professional organization for sports writers and editors throughout the state, or any person involved in disseminating sports information or publicity in Alabama including but not limited to sports information personnel, publicists of professional organizations or facilities, or publicists of non-profit organizations sponsoring or governing sporting events. The ASWA is a non-profit organization.

The ASWA prep committee's primary responsibilities include conducting regular top-10 rankings of a variety of high school sports, and select all-state teams in those sports as well. The committee will determine the winner of a variety of annual awards including the annual Mr. Football winner, and the Jimmy Smothers Courage Award.

The rankings, which will be updated every week, include first-place votes, last year’s record and total poll points. A list of voters appears at the end.

This year's voting panel includes Amelia Hurley, Tuscaloosa News; Andrew Garner, Atmore Advance; Andrew Simonson, Shelby Co. Reporter; Ben Thomas, AL.com; Caleb Suggs, Decatur Daily; David Mundee, Dothan Eagle; Dennis Victory, AL.com; Heath Hambrick, Fort Payne Times-Journal; Jaeden Day, Montgomery Advertiser; Jake Winfrey, Cullman Times; Jason Bowen, Jackson Co. Sentinel; Joe Medley, EAST; Johnathan Bentley, Dailly Mountain Eagle; Kyle Parmley, Starnes Media; Maxwell Donaldson, Gadsden Times; Scott Bentley, Small Town Sports; Shannon Fagan, WEIS Radio; Stacy Long, Florence TimesDaily; Thomas Ashworth, AL.com; Tripp Noris, Opp Bobcats Sports.

Alabama Crimson Tide On SI/BamaCentral is the online home of the Alabama Sports Writers Association.