Final National High School Football Top 25 Rankings - Dec. 22

The Rivals’ National High School Football Top 25 Rankings via Massey Ratings doesn’t see change at the top at the No. 1 spot in its final rankings for 2025 as the unbeaten Bixby Spartans are the nation’s top squad to end the season. Yes, a team out of the Sooner State, according to Massey Ratings, finishes as the top team in the country.

Georgia’s Thomas County Central makes a leap into the Top 10 after their 62-21 victory over Gainesville for the GHSA Class 5A state championship while Carrollton sees a big drop to No. 10. Which other programs were able to make the jump this week’s final set of national high school football Top 25 rankings?

The Massey Ratings, officially used during the BCS era, is a model that ranks sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule, and margin of victory.

Here are the last National high school football Top 25 rankings of 2025, according to Massey as of Dec. 22.

1. Bixby (Okla.) (13-0)

The Bixby Spartans (13-0) maintain the No. 1 spot after winning their 11th state championship a couple weeks ago after they defeated Owasso, 31-17, in the OHSAA’s Class 6A state championship game.

Is Bixby the best team in the country? There’s plenty of debate to be had, but what can’t be argued was the Spartans’ dominance over in Oklahoma.

The Spartans were unstoppable on offense, averaging 60.3 points per game, as they throughly dominated on their way to an undefeated 10-0 2025 campaign and finishing with three postseason victories and a state championship.

Senior quarterback Carson Kirby was the steady hand behind center for Bixby, with the passer completing 170 of 244 passes for 2,701 yards and 38 touchdowns. The Spartans remained the top team out of Oklahoma and finished with a eighth consecutive Oklahoma state championship to cap what has been a breakthrough season on the national stage.

2. Buford (Ga.) (15-0)

The question all season long was if Buford Wolves (15-0) would be able to finish the drill and to win Georgia’s Class 6A high school football classification after a few close calls.

The Wolves faced previous No. 4 Carrollton, which is now No. 10, for the Class 6A state title last week on Tuesday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for what many view as a de facto national championship game for high school football. Buford was able to come away with a hard fought 28-21 victory, staking their own case to being the country’s best team.

Buford featured one of the top defensive front sevens in the country, as they feature four-star edge rushers Bryce Perry-Wright (Texas A&M) and Dre Quinn (Clemson) along with four-star safety Tyriq Green (Georgia). Through 15 games, the defense has only yielded 15.8 points (10.5 ppg) and has shown they can play with the best of ‘em.

Only question left to answer is if Buford should’ve been the No. 1 ranked team in the country?

3. DeSoto (TX) (13-3)

The DeSoto Eagles are now officially the No. 1 team in Texas high school football, which are coming off a 55-27 win over C.E. King last week in a Class 6A, Division II state championship showdown at AT&T Stadium to cap the state finals.

The Eagles finished the season winners of 10 straight as they haven’t lost a game since losing to Duncanville back on Oct. 10. DeSoto capped winning its fourth state championship and with some key pieces returning for 2026, there’s no reason to believe they’ll be slowing down anytime soon.

Running back SaRod Baker was the workhorse back that DeSoto has been leaning on as the junior rushed for over 3,081 yards on 321 carries and scored 41 touchdowns to lead the team on the ground. USC signee Boobie Feaster was the MVP of the state championship game as the future Trojan scored twice and totaled over 160 yards receiving.

4. Southlake Carroll (TX) (14-1)

Southlake Carroll (14-1) saw their dominance throughout the postseason end as they fell to the hottest team in Texas high school football in the DeSoto Eagles, 57-44, in a Class 6A, Division II state semifinal.

It ended what was an impressive season for the Dragons as they were a fourth down goal line stop away from potentially moving onto the state championship game.

With the Dragons graduating players like Angelo Renda and Brock Boyd, it might be a transition heading into the 2026 season for one of Texas high school football’s best programs. Having a head coach like Riley Dodge, however, makes this a team you can never count out of the national mix.

5. IMG Academy (Fla.) (9-0)

IMG Academy (9-0) looked on track to face rival St. Frances Academy (Md.) in what many feel like would be a de facto national high school football championship game.

All of that changed course as the Ascenders announced they would not be rescheduling their game against their rivals out of Baltimore. Now is IMG Academy’s undefeated record for the opponents they faced enough to get them close enough to the top?

For high school football fans, this definitely a loss as folks were looking forward to what kind of matchup it would’ve been on a national high school football stage. The Ascenders’ season is officially over.

6. Duncanville (TX) (12-2)

The Duncanville Panthers (12-2) fell in the Class 6A, Division I state championship game in a defensive slugfest with rival North Shore, 10-7.

The Panthers were looking to cap their season with a state championship in hand as it could very well be the final season for head coach Reginald Samples, who hasn’t made a decision one way or another on his future as of yet.

If it is the last game for Samples as Duncanville’s head coach, the storied Texas high school football coaching legend will leave behind one of the country’s top programs after winning multiple state titles.

7. St. Frances Academy (Md.) (9-1)

St. Frances Academy (9-1) had one last game as they took part in the first-ever Overtime Nationals championship game against Corner Canyon (UT) at Under Armour Stadium in Baltimore.

The Panthers on a nationally televised game on ESPN2, defeated the Chargers in a 37-20 decision, giving them the one last game to complete their season.

The Panthers throughout the season leaned on Virginia signee Jae’Oyn Williams and 2027 running back Sa’Nir Brooks, as the pair helped them cruise past Chaminade-Madonna Prep at the Broward County Classic High School Football Showcase at the beginning of the campaign. The only loss of the season has come against St. John Bosco (Calif.) on the road. What separates St. Frances Academy from many of the nation’s elites is the play of their defense, led by five-star edge rusher Zion Elee, who is a Maryland signee.

8. Thomas County Central (Ga.) (15-0)

Making their way into the Top 10 in the final set of high school football rankings are the Thomas County Central Yellow Jackets after they demolished Gainesville, 62-21, for the GHSA Class 5A state championship last week.

The performance by the Yellow Jackets solidified what has been a dominant run all through the postseason and showing it on the biggest stage.

Wake Forest signee Christian Lawrence was a terror for opposing defenses throughout the 2025 season, as Lawrence finished rushing for 2,198 yards (9.6 yards per carry) on 229 carries and scored 28 touchdowns. Lawrence has also added 401 receiving yards on 23 receptions and seven scores while adding 275 kick return yards.

9. North Shore (TX) (14-2)

The North Shore Mustangs (14-2) won their fourth UIL Class 6A, Division I state championship since 2018 after defeating rival Duncanville, 10-7.

When it comes to red hot national high school football teams out of the Lone Star State, North Shore is a team that has been rolling offensively behind a slew of playmakers on the offensive end. The Mustangs on offense were averaging 45 points per game behind the play of quarterback Kaleb Maryland, who has thrown for over 3,300 yards and 35 touchdowns.

The win for the Mustangs becomes the first UIL Class 6A, Division I state championship under the watch of head coach Willie Gaston. Could it be the first of several Texas high school football state titles for Gaston and crew?

10. Carrollton (Ga.) (14-1)

The Carrollton Trojans were two quarters away from winning Georgia’s Class 6A state championship as they held a 7-0 lead at halftime against Buford last week.

Coming down to the final minutes, the Trojans came up just short as they fell, 10-7. Carrollton took the biggest drop of any team, going from No. 4 to 10 in this week’s final set of rankings.

The Trojans were coming off a dominating Georgia high school football postseason which included a 51-6 victory over Harrison in the second round of the postseason before knocking off the previously unbeaten Grayson Rams.

Carrollton all season long received tremendous play from the backfield duo of freshman All-American quarterback Christian Cypher (2,178 yards, 26 touchdowns) and running back Cameron Wood (1,578 yards, 34 touchdowns).

High School Football Rankings: Nos. 11 – 25

11. Allen (TX) (14-1)
12. Edna Karr (La.) (14-0)
13. Creekside (Ga.) (15-0)
14. Corner Canyon (UT) (12-2)
15. Millard South (Neb.) (12-1)

16. Brownsburg (IN) (14-0)
17. North Crowley (TX) (13-2)
18. Aledo (TX) (15-1)
19. Waxahachie (TX) (12-2)
20. Summer Creek (TX) (12-2)

21. Bryant (AR) (13-0)
22. St. John Bosco (Calif.) (9-2)
23. Santa Margarita Catholic (Calif.) (12-3)
24. Mater Dei (Calif.) (10-3)
25. Grayson (Ga.) (12-1)

How to Follow National High School Football

For high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the state, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the gridiron excitement across the country.