Preseason recap: Everything you need to know ahead of the 2026 football season

VarsityWA has rankings, league overviews, team previews and more ahead of Week 1 of the high school football season

Miss any of VarsityWA’s preseason high school football coverage? Catch up with links to posts about team and player rankings, league and team previews, the top games to watch this season, and more:

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Quarterback Blake Moser and reigning Class 4A runner-up Lake Stevens enter the 2026 season as VarsityWA’s top-ranked program in Washington. (Lauren Smith / VarsityWA)

PRESEASON TEAM RANKINGS

• Preseason all-classification Top 50 football rankings

• Preseason Top 10 football rankings for 4A, 3A, 2A, 1A, 2B and 1B

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O’Dea defensive lineman Tevita Nonu, a top recruit in the state the 2027 class, is set to lead the Fighting Irish defense this fall. (Lauren Smith / VarsityWA)

PRESEASON PLAYER RANKINGS

• 100 players to watch in Washington high school football

• Positional rankings

• Class rankings

• Classification rankings

• Regional rankings

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Eastside Catholic tight end Tytan McNeal, a top recruit nationally in the 2028 class, is a top candidate to lead the state in receiving in 2026. (Lauren Smith / VarsityWA)

PRESEASON STAT LEADER CANDIDATES

• Passing

• Rushing

• Receiving

• Total offense

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Camas senior Thor Brody is one of the most versatile running backs in the state, and will be a big part of the 4A GSHL favorites. (Lauren Smith / VarsityWA)

LEAGUE OVERVIEWS

VarsityWA previews every league in the state ahead of the 2026 season, including top teams and players to watch, predicted stat leaders and league standings ... and more:

• Class 4A

• Class 3A

• Class 2A

• Class 1A

• Class 2B

• Class 1B

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When Prosser junior wide receiver Brody Buxton has the ball in his hands, good things usually happen for the 2A CWAC-favored Mustangs. (Lauren Smith / VarsityWA)

PRESEASON TOP 25 ROAD TRIP

During the two weeks leading up to Week 1 of the season, VarsityWA traveled around the state to visit our preseason all-classification Top 25 programs:

• Anacortes (2A)

• Archbishop Murphy (2A)

• Bellevue (3A)

• Camas (4A)

• Eastside Catholic (3A)

• Enumclaw (3A)

• Federal Way (3A)

• Glacier Peak (4A)

• Graham-Kapowsin (4A)

• Kennedy Catholic (4A)

• Kennewick (3A)

• Lake Stevens (4A)

• Lakes (3A)

• Lincoln of Tacoma (3A)

• Moses Lake (4A)

• Mount Si (4A)

• Mount Tahoma (3A)

• O’Dea (3A)

• Prosser (2A)

• Puyallup (4A)

• Rainier Beach (3A)

• Richland (4A)

• Royal (1A)

• Sumner (4A)

• Tumwater (2A)

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Puyallup sophomore defensive lineman Kitiona Tupua is one of the top underclassman recruits in Washington. (Lauren Smith / VarsityWA)

AND MORE …

• 2026 schedule breakdown: Top Washington high school football games to watch each week this season

• 2026 VarsityWA preseason all-state football team

• 5 questions with WIAA executive director Mick Hoffman ahead of 2026-27 athletics season

• Where do Washington high school football coaches prefer Gridiron Classic be held in five years?

• 2025 championship rewind: A look back at the WIAA title games in Husky Stadium