Preseason football rankings: Only one defending champion starts No. 1

Only Buford among eight defending high school football champions starts No. 1 in the AJC’s preseason rankings.

Buford has won state titles the past two seasons, each with an overtime victory in the finals. Lee County, beaten by Buford 34-31 in that Class 6A championship game, is ranked No. 2.

Buford will open the season at North Cobb, the No. 3 team in Class 7A, on Friday.

The other reigning champions are ranked in the top five of their classifications, but none is clearly its class’s team to beat in 2021.

Milton is No. 1 in Class 7A. The Eagles, who were 12-1 and reached the quarterfinals last season, return as many as six major Division I prospects in their senior class and have the nation’s highest-rated junior, defensive tackle Lebbeus “L.T.” Overton.

In 5A, Blessed Trinity begins No. 1. The Titans have won state titles three of the past four seasons and feature all-state running back Justice Haynes. They lost last season in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Warner Robins, which starts No. 2.

Jefferson, led by Super 11 quarterback Malaki Starks, is No. 1 in 4A. Defending champion Marist, which beat Jefferson in the 2020 final, starts No. 3.

Cedar Grove is the top team in 3A. The Saints, working under first-year coach John Adams, have won state titles in 3A three of the past five seasons. Defending champ Pierce County is No. 4.

Rabun County, seeking its first state title in history, is No. 1 in 2A. The Wildcats’ quarterback, Gunner Stockton, is committed to Georgia. Callaway, the 2020 champion, is No. 3.

In Class A Private, Eagle’s Landing Christian had its streak of five titles ended last season but begins No. 1 ahead of defending champ Prince Avenue Christian, which graduated all-class player of the year Brock Vandagriff to Georgia.

The No. 1 Class A Public team is Brooks County, the 2020 runner-up to Irwin County, which is ranked No. 2.

In 2020, four teams — Grayson, Buford, Warner Robins and Irwin County — started No. 1 and won state titles.

The 2021 season begins this week with 190 games involving Georgia High School Association teams.

Class 7A

1. Milton

2. Collins Hill

3. North Cobb

4. Grayson

5. Colquitt County

6. Lowndes

7. Parkview

8. Marietta

9. Walton

10. North Gwinnett

Class 6A

1. Buford

2. Lee County

3. Hughes

4. Westlake

5. Carrollton

6. Allatoona

7. Valdosta

8. River Ridge

9. Rome

10. Dacula

Class 5A

1. Blessed Trinity

2. Warner Robins

3. Ware County

4. Coffee

5. Cartersville

6. Calhoun

7. Jones County

8. St. Pius

9. Eastside

10. Creekside

Class 4A

1. Jefferson

2. Benedictine

3. Marist

4. Carver (Columbus)

5. Perry

6. Cedartown

7. Hapeville Charter

8. Flowery Branch

9. Bainbridge

10. Baldwin

Class 3A

1. Cedar Grove

2. Peach County

3. Oconee County

4. Pierce County

5. Greater Atlanta Christian

6. Carver (Atlanta)

7. Crisp County

8. Westminster

9. Appling County

10. Rockmart

Class 2A

1. Rabun County

2. Fitzgerald

3. Callaway

4. Thomasville

5. Lovett