With just a few weeks remaining before the 2026 high school football season kicks off, USA TODAY Sports is taking a look at every region to find the top high school programs in around the country.
When it comes to high school football, there aren’t many regions with a richer history on the gridiron than the Southwest.
Thanks to states like Texas and Oklahoma, the region boasts some of the nation’s top high school programs on a yearly basis. That appears to be the case again this year as we take a look at the top 15 programs entering the season from the region.
The Southwest Region includes programs and athletes from Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.
1. Waxahachie (TX)
2025 Record: 11-2
Key Players: QB Jerry Meyer III, Sr.; S JayQuan Snell, Sr.; RB Taylen Strange, Jr.
2. Duncanville (TX)
2025 Record: 12-2
Key Players: QB Maximus Denson, Sr.; WR Trenton Yancey, Sr.; Jr.; IOL Kendrick Harris, Jr.
3. Southlake Carroll (TX)
2025 Record: 14-1
Key Players: WR Blake Gunter, Sr.; WR Brody Knowles, Sr.; OT Luke Wilson, Sr.
4. DeSoto (TX)
2025 Record: 13-3
Key Players: RB Sarod Baker, Sr.; DL K’Adrian Redmond, Sr.; CB Dhillon McGee, Sr.; TE Connor Arant, Jr.
5. Bixby (OK)
2025 Record: 13-0
Key Players: OL Kaeden Penny, Sr.; LB Cain Brackney, Sr., RB/LB Jack Gill, Sr.
6. North Shore (Houston, TX)
2025 Record: 14-2
Key Players: OT Chase Brown, Sr.; LB Da’Sean Royal, Sr.; WR Aubrey Johnson, Sr.
7. South Oak Cliff (Dallas, TX)
2025 Record: 15-1
Key Players: QB Jayden Williams, Sr.; LB Cody Smith, Jr.; DL Jaderian Jones, Sr.
8. North Crowley (Fort Worth, TX)
2025 Record: 12-2
Key Players: WR Jerry Outhouse Jr., Sr.; QB Jacob Torres, Sr.; S Elijajuan Houston, Sr.
9. Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village, CO)
2025 Record: 14-0
Key Players: OL Jackson Roper, Sr.; RB Elijah Cromwell, Jr.; WR Alijah Landrum-Hamilton, Sr.
10. Dickinson (TX)
2025 Record: 13-1
Key Players: QB Lorenzo Aguirre, Sr.; WR Jayse Washington, Sr., RB Tavin Gomez, Sr.
11. Allen (TX)
2025 Record: 14-1
Key Players: QB Ty Snell, So.; RB Lyndon Springs, Sr.; WR Josyah Johnson, Jr.
12. Summer Creek (Houston, TX)
2025 Record: 12-2
Key Players: WR Benny Easter Jr., Sr.; QB Noah Spinks, Sr.; RB Braylin Causey, Sr.
13. Randle (Richmond, TX)
2025 Record: 15-1
Key Players: RB Landen Williams-Callis, Sr.; DL LJ Gonzales, Sr.; DL Cameron Hypolite, Sr.
14. Carl Albert (Midwest City, OK)
2025 Record: 14-0
Key Players: QB Anderson Collier, Sr.; RB Delijah Matthews, Sr.; LB Darion Thomas, Sr.
15. Valor Christian (Littleton, CO)
2025 Record: 10-3
Key Players: QB Titus Huard, Jr.; WR Jackson Coleman, Sr.; LB Evan Ingalls, Jr.
Watch List:
- C.E. King (Houston, TX)
- Stephenville (TX)
- Grandview (Aurora, CO)
- Lake Travis (Austin, TX)
- Lincoln Christian (Tulsa, OK)
USA TODAY Sports’ Super 25 national rankings
Wanting to see how the Southwest region’s top teams stack up against the rest of the country? Stay tuned for USA TODAY Sports’ preseason Super 25 national rankings, which will be unveiled on Tuesday, July 21.
Follow Sports Reporter Joe Spears on X at @joe_spears7 or via email: JSpears@usatodayco.com. For additional high school sports coverage, be sure to follow @usatodayhss on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USA TODAY Sports’ preseason high school football rankings for Southwest region
