Metro Atlanta high school football is having a moment.
Three teams from the metro are ranked in the MaxPreps top 25 going into the 2026 fall season — Buford, Grayson, and Westlake — the most the metro has had in any year since 2014.
It’s a notable result for a metro that, despite producing a steady stream of NFL talent, has rarely had multiple teams competing at the national level in the same season.
What’s driving the rise
Three things, in roughly descending order of importance:
- The transfer-portal era has leveled the playing field. The GHSA’s transfer rules have always been strict, but the 2024 loosening of those rules — combined with the rise of national recruiting at the high-school level — has made it easier for elite talent to move between programs.
- Coaching stability. The three ranked teams all have head coaches who’ve been at their programs for at least five years, which is unusual for high school football. Buford is in its 17th season under Jess Simpson. Grayson is in its 9th year under Adam Carter. Westlake is in its 6th year under Hugh Kollar.
- Region realignment. GHSA’s 2022 region realignment moved some of these teams into tougher regions, but the competition has also made them better.
“When you’re playing the best teams in your region every week, you can’t have a bad game. You either rise to it or you lose. These kids have risen to it.”
— GHSA commissioner
The names to know
Buford (Class 5A): The Wolves have been the gold standard of Georgia high school football for a generation. This year’s team has four FBS commits in the senior class, including a 5-star defensive end.
Grayson (Class 7A): The Rams are the most physically imposing team in the state, with an offensive line that averages 6'5" and 295 pounds. They have a 5-star quarterback and a 4-star running back.
Westlake (Class 6A): The Lions are the most intriguing team of the three. They’ve been on the rise for three years and are now in the state championship conversation. They have the best defensive back in the country, a 5-star senior who is committed to Georgia.
The bigger context
The national rankings matter because they reflect a broader shift in Georgia high school football. The state has produced the most NFL draft picks in the country in each of the last five years, but the high school level has been less nationally visible than the college level.
The rise of Buford, Grayson, and Westlake is the first sign that the metro’s high school scene may be entering a sustained period of national relevance — the way it was in the early 2010s, when Norcross, Grayson, and Tucker all had runs at top-25 rankings.
“This is the year the country has to take Georgia high school football seriously again. The talent in the metro right now is as good as anywhere.”
— A national recruiting analyst
The season starts soon
The first regular-season games are scheduled for August 28–29. The state playoffs begin in November. The state championships at Mercedes-Benz Stadium are scheduled for December 11–13.
Jordan Reyes covers the Falcons, Hawks, Braves, Atlanta United, and Georgia high school sports for WACN 21. Reach him at jreyes@wacn21.com.
