The 2026 Indiana Preps Preseason Football Power Rankings are here — a top 25 that spans all six classifications and sets the table for what promises to be one of the most competitive falls Indiana high school football has seen in years.
Brownsburg opens at No. 1. The back-to-back 6A state champions received unanimous support in the IFCA coaches poll and hold that position in our rankings as well. No program in Indiana enters 2026 with more hardware, more returning talent, or more to defend.
Behind the Bulldogs, the field is wide open. Warren Central checks in at No. 2 with a backfield led by Keyon Thomas, a Big Ten commit headed to Iowa and one of the most productive returning running backs in the state. Westfield at No. 3 arrives with back-to-back state championship losses to Brownsburg and a roster built to finally close that gap. The Shamrocks have been knocking on the door. This is the year they believe they can knock it down.
Center Grove at No. 4 and Carmel at No. 5 give the Indianapolis metro corridor five of the top six spots — a reflection of where Indiana’s most talented football is concentrated right now. Lawrence North at No. 6 sits just outside the top five with two years of unfinished business fueling everything they do this fall. The Wildcats took Brownsburg to the wire in the 2024 postseason before falling just short of a state championship appearance. Then in 2025, a gut-punch loss to rival Lawrence Central in the sectional ended their season earlier than anyone expected. Both exits left a mark. The roster around Monshun Sales — the nation’s number one wide receiver heading to Indiana— is loaded with offensive talent, like Purdue recruit Izayveon Moore making Lawrence North one of the most dangerous teams in 6A regardless of where the preseason rankings place them. If the Wildcats can stay healthy and avoid another early postseason exit, they have the pieces to make a deep November run.
New Palestine at No. 7 is the defending 5A state champion chasing a three-peat across two classifications. Crown Point at No. 8 and Cathedral at No. 9 bring legitimate postseason credentials. Carroll of Fort Wayne at No. 10 and Penn at No. 11 represent the northern Indiana programs capable of making deep runs.
The bottom half of the top 25 tells the story of how deep Indiana football is in 2026. Franklin Central at No. 17 enters the season with one of the most physically imposing skill rosters in the state. East Central at No. 18 returns to Class 4A hungry. Andrean at No. 25 debuts in Class 3A after winning the 2A state title.
Every team on this list enters the season at 0-0. The rankings will be updated weekly as results come in. First games kick off August 21.
The full top 25 is below.
| Ranking | Team | Record | Previous Ranking | |
| 1 | Brownsburg | 0-0 | ||
| 2 | Warren Central | 0-0 | ||
| 3 | Westfield | 0-0 | ||
| 4 | Center Grove | 0-0 | ||
| 5 | Carmel | 0-0 | ||
| 6 | Lawrence North | 0-0 | ||
| 7 | New Palestine | 0-0 | ||
| 8 | Crown Point | 0-0 | ||
| 9 | Cathedral | 0-0 | ||
| 10 | Carroll (Allen) | 0-0 | ||
| 11 | Penn | 0-0 | ||
| 12 | Avon | 0-0 | ||
| 13 | Merrillville | 0-0 | ||
| 14 | Hamilton Southeastern | 0-0 | ||
| 15 | Lafayette Jeff | 0-0 | ||
| 16 | Bishop Chatard | 0-0 | ||
| 17 | Franklin Central | 0-0 | ||
| 18 | East Central | 0-0 | ||
| 19 | Decatur Central | 0-0 | ||
| 20 | Bloomington South | 0-0 | ||
| 21 | Roncalli | 0-0 | ||
| 22 | Fishers | 0-0 | ||
| 23 | Ben Davis | 0-0 | ||
| 24 | Lawrence Central | 0-0 | ||
| 25 | Andrean | 0-0 |