CSS High School Football Southeastern Top 25 poll – Week 1

Norcross High School in metro Atlanta, which went 15-0 last season, was the champion in the top classification (6A) in Georgia and is returning 16 starters, debuts as the No. 1 team in the CSS High School Football Top 25 in the South. The top 10 positions in the pool are dominated by three states as Georgia and Florida has three teams apiece and Louisiana has two of the top four teams. The smallest school to make the poll is Buford, which has 768 students and won the 3A title in Georgia last year. The Wolves came in at No. 24. The preseason poll looks this way:

1. Norcross, (GA) -Norcross returns nine starters on offense and seven on defense from last year, including the No. 1 rated defensive end and consensus top-five recruit in the country, Lorenzo Carter. Carter recorded a sack in every game in 2012. On offense, four-star athlete Myles Autry is a gifted playmaker.

2012 Record: 15-0, Class 6A State Champions

2. Karr, (LA) – Speedy Noil is a five-star receiver and Gerald Willis, Donnie Alexander, Joyan Williams, Juwan Offray, Jaevon Walton and Bryan Anderson all return as defensive starters and college-bound prospects.

2012 Record: 15-0, Class 4A State Champions

3. St. Thomas Aquinas, (FL) – Pittsburgh commit Wade Freebeck replaces Houston signee John O’Korn at quarterback and South Carolina commit Al Harris leads the secondary. Devante Peete is a 6-foot-5 junior receiver that is listed as a four-star prospect.

2012 Record: 13-2, Class 7A State Champions

4. Curtis, (LA) – Malachi Dupre is one of the most gifted wideouts in the southeast. Kenny Young, Terrance Alexander and Mattrell McGraw lead the defense.

2012 Record: 14-0, Class 2A State Champions

5. Sandy Creek, (GA) – Marshall commit Cole Garvin quarterbacks an offense that features Clemson commit Demarre Kitt and junior running backs Eric Swinney and Delvin Weems. Ole Miss commit Chris Williams stars at defensive tackle.

2012 Record: 15-0, Class 4A State Champions

6. Booker T. Washington, (FL) – Chad Thomas is a 6-5, 240-pound defensive end committed to Miami. Treon Harris is the go-to playmaker on offense and the explosive four-star is committed to FSU.

2012 Record: 13-1, Class 4A State Champions

7. Miami Central, (FL) – A 35-3 loss to Georgia’s Grayson did not detour Central as it went on to claim the state championship in 2012. Five-star running back and Florida commit Dalvin Cook returns in the backfield and junior wideout Da’Vante Phillips is committed to Florida.

2012 Record: 13-2, Class 6A State Champions

8. Hoover, (AL) – Cornerback Marlon Humphrey is the No. 1 recruit in the state of Alabama. The five-star will lead the defense against Hoover’s usual slate of tough opponents with help from junior defensive end Christian Bell.

2012 Record: 16-0, Class 6A State Champions

9. Ensworth, (TN) – Vanderbilt commit Michael Sawyers and Xavier Forrest are a pair of 300-pound tackles that dominate the line of scrimmage. Offensively, the physical 6-1, 220 pound D’Andre Ferby returns at running back.

2012 Record: 13-0, II-AA Champions

10. North Gwinnett, (GA) – Senior quarterback Hayden Sphire has Nate Brown, Caleb Scott and Daniel Imatorbhebhe forming one of the best receiving corps in Georgia. Defensively, four-star defensive end Dante Sawyer is a top 10 recruit in the state.

2012 Record: 11-2, Class 6A Quarterfinalist

11. Colquitt County, (GA) – Nine defensive starters return from last season’s quarterfinals team including Jamiyus Pittman, Mike Parrish, Brandon Key and Tim Sanders.

2012 Record: 10-4, Class 6A Semifinalist

12. Northwestern, (SC) - Mason Rudolph returns at quarterback and will have 6-4 wideout Mustafia Love in the boundaries. Playmaker Dupree Hart will lead the backfield and Russell Hubbs will man the linebackers.

2012 Record: 12-3, 4A II Runners-Up

13. University (Fort Lauderdale, FL) – Auburn commit Sean White will return to quarterback University after a perfect season in 2012. Duke commit Chris Taylor is one of White’s best exterior targets. Four-star junior running back Jordan Scarlett paces the offense.

2012 Record: 13-0, 3A State Champions

14. Lowndes, (GA) – The Vikings return 13 starters including the anchor of their offensive line Dyshon Sims who is committed to UGA, and their entire starting linebacking corps.

2012 Season: 9-2, Region 1-6A Champions

15. South Panola, (MS) – The Tigers come off a 2012 state championship and have senior quarterback Rip Kirk to lead the dynasty.

2012 Record: 13-2, Class 6A State Champions

16. Manatee, (FL) – The Hurricanes fell to St. Thomas Aquinas in the state semi-finals last season, and return four-star defensive tackle Demarcus Christmas who is committed to FSU. Jake Stickler is a 6-6 offensive tackle committed to Georgia Tech.

2012 Record: 13-1, Class 7A Semifinalist

17. Gaffney, (SC) – Gaffney boasts an explosive offenses with wideout Shaq Davidson and playmaker Hyleck Foster. Davidson is committed to South Carolina and Foster is pledged to Marshall.

2012 Record: 12-3, Class 4A I State Champions

18. Apopka, (FL) – Martez Ivey is a junior offensive tackle that is listed as the top Florida recruit for the Class of 2015. Senior quarterback Zack Darlington is committed to Nebraska.

2012 Record: 13-2, Class 8A State Champions

19. Byrnes, (SC) – Old Dominion commit Shuler Bentley is a pro-style quarterback that will have 6-2 wideout Shaedon Meadors to stretch the field. Byrnes fell 21-19 to Gaffney in the quarterfinals last season.

2012 Record: 12-2, Class 4A I Semifinalist

20. Auburn, (AL) – Rashaan Evans is a 6-3, 220-pound four-star linebacker and is joined by fellow outside linebacker Darian Yancey who is committed to Southern Miss. Antreal Allen leads the secondary and Blaise Taylor sparks the offense.

2012 Record: 11-2, Class 6A Quarterfinalist

21. Godby, (FL) – Jacob Pugh leads the defense and the FSU commit stands 6-4, 221 pounds. Louisville commit De-Eric Culver remains the starting corner and safety Deion Singleton wraps up a talented defensive unit.

2012 Record- 15-1, Class 5A State Champions

22. Lincoln (Tallahassee, FL) – Kendall Randolph is a 3-star cornerback that returns to the starting role. On offense, 6-3, 170-pound receiver John Burt has offers from FSU, Louisville, LSU, Miami and Ohio State.

2012 Record: 12-2, 7A State Runner-Up

23. Whitehaven, (TN) – Seniors Brandon Adams, Lewis Washington, Jeffrey Malone and Rashad Brown all have the capability of starting on either side of the line of scrimmage for the defending state champs.

2012 Record: 15-0, 6A State Champs

24. Buford, (GA) – Buford won the state championship last season in part to a tremendous defensive effort. Clemson commit and linebacker Korie Rogers returns and the explosive Thomas Wilson returns on offense.

2012 Record: 12-3, Class 3A State Champs

25. McEachern, (GA) – Louisville commit Henry Famurewa leads the defense. On offense, quarterback Ty Clemons and five-star junior running back Taj Griffin headline one of Georgia’s best rushing attacks. Junior Chuma Edoga leads the O-line.

2012 Season: 8-3, Region 4-6A Champs

Under Consideration: Beech (TN), Bentonville (AR), Bolles (FL), Boyd Anderson (FL), Brentwood Academy (TN), Brandon (MS), Carver (AL), Dutch Fork (SC), Fayetteville (AR), Gainesville (FL), Gainesville (GA), Greenwood (AR), Goose Creek (SC), Greenwood (SC), Immokalee (FL), Lovejoy (GA), Maryville (TN), Naples (FL), Nellville (LA), North Little Rock (AR), Ouachita Christian (LA), Petal (MS), Spanish Fort (AL), Trinity (KY), Tuscaloosa County (AL)

*The CSS Top 25 poll, voted on by a group of high school football experts, is released every Monday during the high school football season. Teams are selected from the primary states within the CSS Network footprint including: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee.