Buford moves closer to consensus national title, adds fourth No. 1 ranking

After earning its first national title on Sunday, Buford has added three more No. 1 rankings.

The ESPN High School Football Top 25, National HSFB and MaxPreps final rankings, all announced Monday, listed Buford as their top team.

Buford (15-0) went into its state championship game against Carrollton as the top team in the ESPN ranking, and the win over the then-No. 6 Trojans allowed the Wolves to retain their spot.

Ahead of the finals, Buford was also top-ranked in The Sporting News and USA Today’s rankings. Those rankings have not been updated since the end of the football season.

Buford was No. 6 in the National HSFB ranking ahead of its state championship.

Blue Star Media was the first to crown Buford a national champion, posting its final ranking on Sunday.

Georgia had not had a high school national champion since 2015, when Colquitt County finished the season No. 1 in the High School Football America poll. There has not been a consensus national champion since 1991, when LaGrange was No. 1 in USA Today, the only poll at the time.

While not a national title, the Wolves were named the top public high school team in the final High School Football America rankings.

Final MaxPreps Top 25 football rankings

Georgia teams in bold.

1. Buford (Ga.)
2. St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.)
3. Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.)
4. Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.)
5. Carrollton (Ga.)
6. Edna Karr (New Orleans, La.)
7. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
8. Centennial (Corona, Calif.)
9. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
10. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
11. Thomas County Central (Thomasville, Ga.)
12. Grimsley (Greensboro, N.C.)
13. Grayson (Loganville, Ga.)
14. DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)
15. Bixby (Okla.)
16. Baylor (Chattanooga, Tenn.)
17. Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)
18. St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)
19. Creekside (Fairburn, Ga.)
20. Clay-Chalkville (Pinson, Ala.)
21. South Oak Cliff (Dallas, Texas)
22. Brownsburg (Ind.)
23. DeSoto (Texas)
24. Basha (Chandler, Ariz.)
25. Raines (Jacksonville, Fla.)

Final ESPN High School Football Top 25

Georgia teams in bold.

1. Buford (Ga.)
2. St. Frances Academy (Md.)
3. Bishop Gorman (Nev.)
4. Santa Margarita (Calif.)
5. IMG Academy (Fla.)
6. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.)
7. Centennial (Calif.)
8. Mater Dei (Calif.)
9. Edna Karr (La.)
10. St. John Bosco (Calif.)
11. Carrollton (Ga.)
12. Baylor (Tenn.)
13. DeMatha Catholic (Md.)
14. Grayson (Ga.)
15. Grimsley (N.C.)
16. Sierra Canyon (Calif.)
17. South Oak Cliff (Texas)
18. North Shore (Texas)
19. De La Salle (Calif.)
20. Raines (Fla.)
21. Folsom (Calif.)
22. Creekside (Ga.)
23. Basha (Ariz.)
24. Providence Day (N.C.)
25. Mission Viejo (Calif.)