NATIONAL RANKINGS

South Georgia showdown likely to shake up next week’s national rankings

Thomas County Central and Lee County face off Friday night.

Lee County offensive lineman Mike Robinson (75) sets up for the hike during the second half of play Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, at Sequoyah High School. (Daniel Varnado for the AJC)

By Chip Saye

Sept 24, 2026

There was little movement among the top Georgia teams in this week’s national rankings, but that is likely to change next week after Thomas County Central and Lee County, the two highest-ranked teams in Georgia’s Class 6A, meet in a Region 2-6A showdown Friday in Leesburg.

Thomas County Central, the defending state champion in the second-highest class, is ranked in the top 30 in all nine of the national polls considered by AJC Varsity, with a high of No. 9 in the Massey Ratings. Lee County is ranked in the top 32 in five of the polls, with a high of No. 20 by NationalHSFB.com.

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Buford, the consensus defending national champion, is ranked in the top six in the nine polls, earning the No. 2 spot in the High School Football America and ESPN SC Next polls. The Wolves are the highest-rated Georgia team in all of the polls except the Massey Ratings, which have Carrollton at No. 3 and Buford at No. 6. Carrollton’s lowest ranking is No. 16 by NationalHSFB.com.

Other Georgia teams with Top 25 national rankings are North Gwinnett (No. 24 Massey Ratings, No. 25 Mister Football Composite) and Newton (No. 25 Massey Ratings).

Here is where Georgia teams stand in several national polls. The numbers on the left are this week’s rankings; the numbers in parentheses are last week’s rankings.