1 DeSoto 6A 1 Nationally ranked DeSoto is seeking a three-peat and is positioned to have another big season. The program returns four-star SMU pledge Daylon Singleton and four-star Texas A&M commit Deondrae “Tiger” Riden on offense. 2 Duncanville 6A 2 This year’s Duncanville squad features the area’s top-rated overall recruit in five-star wide receiver Dakorien Moore and the area’s top-rated quarterback in five-star Alabama pledge Keelon Russell. Duncanville has appeared in five state championship games since 2018 and has won the last two Class 6A Division I titles. 3 Southlake Carroll 6A 3 The eight-time state champion returns a pair of four-star running backs in Riley Wormley and Davis Penn, who combined for 2,495 rushing yards and 49 touchdowns last season. Carroll had the area’s top 6A offense in 2023, averaging 522.1 yards and 53.5 points per game. 4 North Crowley 6A 4 The 2023 6A Division I state semifinalist looks like it can make another deep playoff run, boasting five athletes on The News’ top 100 recruits in the Class of 2025. Among the returning starters is senior quarterback Chris Jimerson Jr., a three-star UNT pledge who threw for 3,092 yards and 40 touchdowns in 2023. 5 Denton Ryan 5A 1 Denton Ryan has had a winning record in 23 of the last 24 seasons and has won three state titles. Dave Henigan is 116-19 in his first 10 years as Ryan’s coach, and he said this looks to be the best offensive line that he has had there. 6 South Oak Cliff 5A 2 After winning back-to-back 5A Division II state titles in 2021 and 2022, South Oak Cliff was the state runner-up last year, and it has now won at least 13 games for three straight seasons. SOC enters this season ranked No. 2 in the state and No. 98 in the nation. 7 Denton Guyer 6A 5 The two-time state champion added four-star Oklahoma pledge Kevin Sperry to the roster in the offseason, and his presence could help Guyer make its next deep run. Guyer returns three-star Wisconsin pledge Xavier Ukponu on the defensive line. 8 Allen 6A 6 The storied program was a regional finalist last year. Allen’s roster includes three-star offensive lineman Colter Alberding and senior Brady Bricker, who returns at quarterback. Running back Micah Ellis, who rushed for 1,082 yards and 16 touchdowns as a junior in 2023, also returns. 9 Frisco Lone Star 5A 3 Five-star junior running back Davian Groce was second-team all-state last year after he had a combined 1,796 yards and 22 touchdowns rushing and receiving. Lone Star will line up Groce all over the field and use its star playmaker. 10 Highland Park 5A 4 Six-time state champion Highland Park drops from 6A to 5A Division I in realignment and will be bidding for its 12th straight season with 10 or more wins. The strength of the team is the linebackers, with 2023 district defensive MVP Jack Morse (17 tackles for loss, 7 sacks) joining first-team all-district honoree Anders Corn (74 tackles, 9 sacks). 11 TC Byron Nelson 6A 7 Byron Nelson’s typically high-powered offense will feature senior two-way player Leo Almanza, who is pledged to Baylor as a three-star cornerback and also plays wide receiver. The program upset Southlake Carroll last season for the District 4-6A title. 12 Coppell 6A 8 Coppell went undefeated in District 6-6A last season to win the district title. Three-star Kansas State commit Weston Polk will return at linebacker and three-star Baylor pledge Edward Griffin will remain the starter at quarterback. Griffin threw for 3,170 yards and 41 touchdowns as a junior last season. 13 Prosper 6A 9 Prosper enters this season as a defending district champion. The program returns senior guard Connor Carty, a three-star Texas A&M commit, on the offensive line. Carty will help create openings for rising senior running back Leo Anguiano, who rushed for 928 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2023. 14 Richland 5A 5 Richland has three all-district wide receivers with Deon Jones II, three-star Memphis pledge Xavier Johnson and Evan Smith. Jones was Richland’s leading receiver with 40 catches for 745 yards, and Johnson had 25 catches for 543 yards. 15 Forney 6A 10 Forney will embark on a new journey in Class 6A after moving up in realignment. Four-star running back Javian Osborne should be a main contributor on offense again this year after rushing for 2,231 yards and 39 touchdowns as a sophomore last season. 16 Cedar Hill 6A 11 The three-time state champion had a resurgence in 2023, advancing to the regional finals after a 2–8 finish the previous year. Cedar Hill returns brothers and Texas pledges Jordan and Devin Coleman on the offensive line. 17 Lancaster 6A 12 Lancaster has one of the deepest teams in the area with four top area recruits in the Class of 2025. Returners include three-star senior quarterback Carter Jones, a Nevada commit, and senior linebacker Ke’Breion Winston, a three-star Cal pledge. 18 Red Oak 5A 6 Red Oak is loaded at wide receiver, as four-star Baylor pledge Taz Williams Jr., four-star junior Brayden Robinson and three-star Michigan State pledge Charles Taplin all return after combining for 146 catches for 2,235 yards and 25 touchdowns for the 2023 regional semifinalist. 19 Parish Episcopal TAPPS 1 Parish Episcopal has won five consecutive TAPPS Division I state championships and is 56-7 in that span. First-team all-state quarterback Sawyer Anderson is rated the 49th-best senior QB in the nation, 20 Melissa 5A 7 The 5A area power lost quarterback Trever Ham, who threw 86 touchdown passes over the last two years. But his replacement is junior Noah Schuback, a three-star move-in from Alabama who has eight college offers. 21 McKinney 6A 13 McKinney should be a contender this season with four top area recruits in the rising senior class. Linebacker Riley Pettijohn, a five-star linebacker committed to Ohio State, is the area’s fifth ranked prospect. Jordan Covington, an Oklahoma State pledge, will start on the defensive line. 22 Rockwall 6A 14 Landyn Locke, a three-star Wisconsin commit, returns at quarterback after splitting snaps with Mason Marshall in Rockwall’s dual quarterback system. Locke passed for 1,752 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2023, when Rockwall was a regional semifinalist. 23 Anna 5A 8 Anna is moving up to 5A in realignment and has plenty of talent to make a run at a third straight season with double-digit wins. Junior quarterback Ziondre Williams threw for 2,930 yards and 39 touchdowns for the 2023 4A Division I champion, while running for 844 yards and eight scores. 24 Argyle Liberty Christian TAPPS 2 Liberty Christian moves up to TAPPS Division I in realignment after winning the Division II state title last year. Jason Witten, a Cowboys legend who was an 11-time Pro Bowl tight end in the NFL, is 26-10 in his three years as Liberty Christian’s head coach. 25 Waxahachie 6A 15 Waxahachie lost dual threat quarterback Ramon McKinney Jr. to graduation. Jerry Meyer III, a sophomore with eight offers, will step up in his place for the program that has finished third in District 11-6A behind either Duncanville or DeSoto. 26 Argyle 5A 9 Led by Harvard pledge Will Krzysiak at wide receiver, Argyle will be trying to reach a state championship game for the sixth time since 2013. It won state titles in 2013 and 2020. 27 Frisco Emerson 5A 10 Emerson averaged 51.9 points during last year’s run to the state semifinals, but defense could be its forte in 2024 with Oklahoma pledge Maliek Hawkins at cornerback and district defensive MVP Agape Lawrence at linebacker. 28 Lovejoy 5A 11 Seven-time state champion Todd Dodge takes over as the coach of a program that has played in a regional final in three of the last four years and returns four-star Florida State pledge Daylan McCutcheon at wide receiver. 29 Mansfield Timberview 5A 12 Timberview allowed just 11.3 points per game last year and has a defense headlined by LSU pledge Dilan Battle on the defensive line and Utah pledge Nathan Tilmon in the secondary. 30 Frisco Reedy 5A 13 Expect another big season from star running back Triston Airy, who ran for 1,495 and 19 touchdowns for a 10-2 team. 31 Arlington Martin 6A 16 Get to know the name Jesse Ford. The four-star junior is rated the 14th-best defensive lineman in the nation in the Class of 2026. 32 Wylie East 6A 17 Texas Tech pledge Michael Henderson is a two-way star who scored 13 touchdowns rushing and receiving and had two interceptions and seven pass breakups. 33 Lewisville 6A 18 Five-star offensive lineman Michael Fasusi, committed to Oklahoma, is back to open holes for a running game that averaged 215.8 yards per game on the ground. 34 Euless Trinity 6A 19 UTEP pledge Josh Bell ran for 1,967 yards and 27 touchdowns for a team that averaged a 6A-area best 337.8 yards per game on the ground. 35 Rockwall-Heath 6A 20 Rodney Webb led Rockwall-Heath to a 9-3 season in 2023 in his first year at the school and has a record of 94-37 in his last 10 years as a head coach. 36 Colleyville Heritage 5A 14 Colleyville Heritage has won at least eight games each of the last five years, and last season’s 11-2 record was the second time it had double-digit wins in that span. 37 Midlothian Heritage 5A 15 Quarterback Carter Rutenbar accounted for 42 touchdowns last year, the third straight season that a Heritage QB has accounted for more than 40 touchdowns. 38 Frisco Panther Creek 4A 1 Panther Creek reached the third round of the playoffs in its second varsity season and added four-star athlete Jalen Lott, a transfer from Lovejoy who has 36 college offers. 39 Celina 4A 2 Celina has won 10 or more games 10 times in the last 16 years but hasn’t won a state title since 2007. It is 34-6 over the last three years. 40 McKinney North 5A 16 Coach Kendall Brewer has won seven games in each of his first two years at the school, and Oklahoma State pledge Kam Powell is back at wide receiver. 41 Mesquite Horn 6A NR Mesquite Horn returns four-star Missouri pledge Lamont Rogers on the offensive line but lost two of its top players when three-star cornerback Ryan Gilbert and quarterback Legend Bey transferred to North Forney. 42 Jesuit 6A NR Charlie Peters threw for 2,993 yards, fifth-most among area 6A quarterbacks who are returning this season. 43 Ennis 5A 17 Ennis has 643 wins all-time, which is fifth most in Dallas-area history behind Highland Park, Plano, Garland and Celina. 44 Frisco Wakeland 5A 18 Wakeland won a school-record nine games for the third time in its 18 seasons of varsity football and returns Toledo pledge Ryder Treadway, who had a school-record 1,155 receiving yards. 45 Midlothian 5A 19 Midlothian averaged 232.3 rushing yards per game last year and will have one of the best offensive lines among area 5A teams with Noah Best and Nelson McGuire, who have a combined 30 college offers. 46 Carter 4A 3 Carter is looking for its first district title since 2021 after going 4-2 in District 7-4AI last year, finishing third behind Frisco Panther Creek and Celina. With those two gone, Kimball will be its biggest challenge in 8-4AI. 47 Crowley 6A NR After winning a total of eight games from 2020 to 2022, Crowley was 7-4 last year and returns 3,000-yard passer Caleb Williams. 48 Mansfield 6A NR Mansfield is no longer in a district with state champions Duncanville and DeSoto and returns four-star junior Zion Robinson, rated the 10th-best wide receiver in the nation in the Class of 2026. 49 Lake Highlands 6A NR Lake Highlands has had a player rush for more than 1,400 yards each of the last four years, but it must replace star running back Deonte Dean, who led the Dallas area with 2,347 rushing yards last year. 50 Sachse 6A NR One of last season’s surprise teams finished 8-3 and has a five-star wide receiver in Kaliq Lockett, but Sachse graduated quarterback Brenden George, who helped the program to a district championship last season. 51 Mansfield Summit 5A 20 Houston pledge Travis Buhake, a four-star defensive lineman, anchors a defense that allowed just 19 points per game last year. 52 Carrollton Newman Smith 5A NR QB Axel Lofstrand will lead the offense of a team that went 8-3 last year and made the playoffs for the first time since 2014. 53 Lake Dallas 4A 4 Coming off a 10-2 season, which was tied for the third-most wins in a season in school history, Lake Dallas drops from 5A to 4A. 54 Kimball 4A 5 Realignment has shifted Kimball from Class 5A to 8-4A Division I, with longtime rival Carter. The move from 5A has led to expectations that Kimball will make a run after an 8-3 season that ended with a first-round playoff loss. 55 Terrell 5A NR A team that went 7-4 last year returns several starters, including three-star edge rusher Keiundre Johnson, who is committed to Arkansas and also plays TE. 56 Arlington Bowie 6A NR Bowie has made the playoffs two straight years but will look to get past the bidistrict round with two three-star recruits on offense: WR Dilon Tallie and OL Ian Mayes. 57 Justin Northwest 6A NR Repeating last season’s 10-3 record in 5A will be more challenging in a 6A district full of competitors and without many starters returning. 58 Aubrey 4A NR Aubrey moves up to 7-4A Division I with Panther Creek and Celina, which handed Aubrey its last district loss in 2021. 59 Keller 6A NR Keller was 7-4 last year but will have a hard time making the playoffs in a district with 6A powers Southlake Carroll and Trophy Club Byron Nelson. Three-star TCU recruit Kilian Registe leads the offensive line. 60 Hurst LD Bell 6A NR Bell finished 7-3 and missed the playoffs on a tiebreaker. It will have to find a way to replace a key player on the defensive line, TCU’s Tristan Johnson. 61 Keller Timber Creek 6A NR New coach Austin Kaehn takes over a team with some strong returning starters, including QB Carson Porter and one of his top targets, WR Adrian Corley. 62 Richardson Berkner 6A NR Richardson Berkner had a solid showing in 2023 (including a 55-35 upset of Lake Highlands) and boasts three-star cornerback Kobi Foreman and three-star linebacker Richmond Ugochukwu. 63 Arlington 6A NR Martin has won this district since 2019, but an Arlington team with several strong returning starters (QB Coleman Cravens, WR Isaiah Robertson) could make a run at this year’s title. 64 Arlington Seguin 5A NR Seguin just missed the playoffs last season but hopes this year is different with the return of Carterrious Brown, a three-star wide receiver/free safety who had 19 college offers before choosing SMU. 65 Seagoville 5A NR Seagoville, which went 7-4 and lost to Mansfield Summit in the first round last year, will look to make the playoffs for a third straight year. 66 The Colony 5A NR The Colony went 5-5 in a competitive district last season, 3-5A II, and missed the playoffs because of a tiebreaker. This year, QB Carson Cox is returning with several veteran offensive linemen. 67 Fort Worth All Saints TAPPS 3 Rice pledge Gavin Parkhurst returns after accounting for 34 touchdowns (25 passing) and 3,215 yards of total offense last year for a 9-3 team. 68 Frisco 5A NR Frisco made the playoffs last year at 6-5 and returns many of its starters, including junior QB Cobyn Harbert and senior DT Jomarye Tucker. 69 Plano East 6A NR After making the playoffs for the first time since 2018, Plano East will try to keep that momentum going behind QB Jackson Hays, who was a backup last year. 70 Grapevine 5A NR This District 3-5A II team made the playoffs at 6-4, but some inexperience on offense will make returning to the postseason a challenge. 71 Plano Prestonwood TAPPS 4 Three-star Oregon State pledge David Madison is a first-team all-state cornerback who had 14 pass breakups as a junior. Linebacker AJ Morreale and running back Caiden Collins were also first-team all-state on a 7-4 team. 72 Frisco Heritage 5A NR Heritage went 6-4 but just missed the playoffs. Three-star WR/DB Tatum Bell Jr. is capable of big plays on offense, and teams could find it hard to defend against him and WR Vincent Hooper Jr. 73 Crandall 5A NR The team barely missed the playoffs at 6-4 last year and has a veteran QB returning in Gauge Wickersham. 74 Kennedale 4A NR Kennedale went 7-4 and lost 49-27 to Alvarado in the bi-district round last season, but before 2022, hadn’t lost a district game since 2011. 75 Garland 6A NR Garland was 7-4 a season ago, falling in overtime in the first round of the playoffs against North Forney. 76 WT. White 5A NR W.T. White went 6-5 last season, making the playoffs by winning its last game of the regular season. White benefited greatly from realignment with the district’s top two teams from a year ago leaving. 77 Frisco Centennial 5A NR Centennial wasn’t a playoff team at 4-6 last year and will need some help this year from its veteran defense after graduating a starting running back and wide receiver. 78 Birdville 5A NR Birdville narrowly missed the playoffs after going 4-6 in 2023 and is joining District 3-5A I, which includes Aledo, Denton Ryan and Richland. 79 Denton Braswell 6A NR Braswell was a fringe playoff contender a year ago. Realignment did the team no favors as it joins Guyer in a new 5-6A that adds Coppell, Lewisville, Flower Mound and Marcus. 80 Dallas Christian TAPPS 5 Dallas Christian has outscored the opposition 741-55 while winning its other 13 district games the last four years. After winning three straight state titles, Dallas Christian should continue its dominance. 81 Flower Mound 6A NR Flower Mound went 5-5 in 2023, barely missing the playoffs. The addition of Denton Guyer makes 5-6A an incredibly tough district for teams that were on the cusp of making the postseason last year. 82 Hebron 6A NR Hebron just missed the playoffs, going 4-5 in 2023. Now in a reshuffled 5-6A which includes Denton Guyer, Hebron’s path to the postseason seems equally as difficult. 83 Northwest Eaton 6A NR Eaton narrowly missed the playoffs after going 4-5 last year. Now District 4-6A adds Justin Northwest and Euless Trinity to a group that already consisted of Byron Nelson, Southlake Carroll, Keller and Timber Creek. 84 Royse City 6A NR Royse City went 3-7 in 2023. Is led by senior CB Cordarian Powell who holds offers from Memphis, North Texas, Texas State and others. 85 Flower Mound Marcus 6A NR Marcus fell to McKinney in the first round of the playoffs, ending the season 4-7. Senior QB Dane Parlin had 2,850 passing yards with 20 TDs and 4 INTs in 2023. 86 Mansfield Legacy 6A NR Legacy went 3-7 last season, but there will be more opportunity this year, in a different district, than there was in the District of Doom with Duncanville, DeSoto, Cedar Hill and Waxahachie. 87 Prosper Rock Hill 6A NR Rock Hill went 3-7 last season and remains in a top-heavy District 6-6A with Allen, Prosper and McKinney. 88 Richardson Pearce 6A NR Pearce went 6-4 and narrowly missed the playoffs, finishing the season in a tie for the No. 4 seed with Richardson Berkner. Now that Highland Park is no longer in 7-6A, perhaps Pearce can secure a spot in the postseason in 2024. 89 Richardson 6A NR Richardson went 4-6 last season, missing the playoffs for the third consecutive season. To snap that streak, Richardson will also be looking to take advantage of Highland Park no longer being in 7-6A. 90 Woodrow Wilson 5A NR Woodrow went 4-7 in 2023 and returns most of its starting core. 91 Kaufman 5A NR Kaufman went 3-8 in 4A last season, losing to Frisco Panther Creek in the first round. Now in 5A, Kaufman will need to play up to its competition. 92 Keller Fossil Ridge 5A NR Fossil Ridge missed the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season after going 2-7 last year. 93 Garland Naaman Forest 6A NR Naaman Forest went 1-9 in 2023 and remains in an incredibly tough district with the likes of Wylie East, Sachse, Garland, Wylie, and Lakeview Centennial. 94 South Grand Prairie 6A NR South Grand Prairie made the playoffs last year despite going 3-8 but fell to Lake Highlands in the first round for the second time in three seasons. 95 Irving MacArthur 6A NR Big bad Highland Park may have left 7-6A, but the rest of the district still poses a challenge for a MacArthur team that went 2-8 in 2023. 96 Rowlett 6A NR Rowlett missed the playoffs last season after going 3-7. 97 Mesquite 6A NR Mesquite went 2-8 in 2023, missing thre playoffs for the second straight season. 98 McKinney Boyd 6A NR Boyd was 1-9 in 2023, missing the playoffs and posting a losing record in back-to-back seasons. Boyd went 8-3 in 2021, losing to Lewisville 27-17. 99 Plano 6A NR Plano went 2-8 last season, marking the fourth straight season with a losing record. 100 Mansfield Lake Ridge 6A NR Lake Ridge went 0-10 in 2023. The program hasn’t posted a winning record since 2018 and hasn’t won at least five games since 2019.