The 2026 Georgia high school football playoffs are here, and ITG Next is ready to give you our thoughts and perspectives on the games, players, and top matchups to watch. Each week, we’ll provide an overview of the upcoming round of games, the teams we believe are the favorites to win, and those with the greatest potential to pull off an upset.
What’s Different About the 2026 Georgia High School Football Playoffs?
The biggest difference between this year’s playoffs and those of previous seasons is how teams are seeded as they move from the regular season into the postseason.
In fact, you may have already noticed.
Even with the new postseason ranking system determining playoff seeds, most fans have continued to place significant importance on the weekly top-10 rankings published by ITG Next, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and the GHSF Daily Composite Poll, which includes rankings from seven Georgia media outlets, including ITG Next.
Fans have become accustomed to following those weekly rankings into the postseason as a way of measuring the favorites to win each state championship.
However, the PSR has changed that.
Perhaps the biggest and most talked-about example is Buford.
In the minds of most fans, the Buford Wolves are the favorites to repeat as Class 7A state champions.
But despite being the consensus No. 1 team in the weekly media rankings, the Wolves enter the Class 7A playoffs as the No. 9 seed.
And that’s just one example of what you’ll see throughout our playoff analysis.
Just thought we’d try to prepare you.
Class 7A Georgia High School Football Playoff Preview: Can Anyone Stop Buford?
The Valdosta Wildcats took advantage of the new PSR formula, perhaps more than any other team, and secured the No. 1 seed in Class 7A.
The Wildcats will take that top seed into the playoffs, where they’ll host No. 32 West Forsyth in the opening round.
Buford, the consensus No. 1 team in Class 7A throughout the regular season in the major media rankings, will enter the playoffs as the No. 9 seed. The Wolves will host No. 24 Marietta at Philip Beard Stadium.
Even with the discrepancy between the weekly rankings and the PSR, Valdosta and Buford could be on a collision course to meet in the quarterfinals if they each win their first two games.
If Buford defeats Marietta, the Wolves would face the winner of No. 8 North Cobb and No. 25 Archer. Another victory would send Buford to Valdosta for the second consecutive postseason, provided the Wildcats also advance.
Last year, Buford and Valdosta met in the Class 6A semifinals, with the Wolves defeating the Wildcats 39-7 before advancing to the state championship game. Buford defeated Carrollton 28-21 to capture the state title and finish the season as a national champion.
It appears the state championship could once again go through Valdosta, but there’s a lot of football to be played before we determine that.
Other Class 7A First-Round Matchups to Watch
Another notable opening-round game features the McEachern Indians and Harrison Hoyas, who faced each other just two weeks ago in a matchup for the Region 3-7A championship. McEachern won that game 29-13.
The Lowndes Vikings and Colquitt County Packers are coming off an emotional roller coaster of games to close out the 2026 regular season.
Lowndes defeated Valdosta 32-31 in the Winnersville Classic before traveling to the Hawg Pen in Moultrie to take on Colquitt County with the region championship on the line.
The Vikings came up just short in another back-and-forth contest, falling 23-20.
However, by virtue of the region tiebreaker, Lowndes claimed the Region 1-7A championship.
The No. 5 Vikings will host No. 28 South Forsyth in the first round. A victory would set up a second-round home matchup against the winner of Camden County and Grayson.
Keep an Eye on the Colquitt County Packers
Colquitt County is a team to watch in these playoffs.
If the No. 7 Packers can get past No. 26 Lambert at home, they would face the winner of Harrison and McEachern in the second round.
That could set up a quarterfinal matchup against No. 2 Newton, assuming the undefeated Rams advance.
Get that popcorn ready.
Class 6A Georgia High School Football Playoff Preview: Thomas County Central Leads the Field
I’m going to say what everybody else is thinking: Can anybody beat Thomas County Central?
Thomas County Central head coach Justin Rogers has his Yellow Jackets playing as well as anyone in the state and in the country.
The Yellow Jackets are deservedly the No. 1 seed in the Class 6A playoffs, while fellow Region 2-6A opponent Lee County is the No. 2 seed.
Thomas County Central will open the playoffs against the Veterans Warhawks, while the Lee County Trojans will host the Northside (Warner Robins) Eagles.
If Thomas County Central wins, the Yellow Jackets will face the winner of Roswell and Effingham County in the second round.
Which Teams Could Challenge Thomas County Central for the Class 6A Championship?
Here are a few teams I believe can truly challenge the Yellow Jackets for the state championship.
Creekside
The defending Class 5A state champion Creekside Seminoles lost their season opener to Clay-Chalkville of Alabama but haven’t looked back since.
Creekside won its final nine regular-season games, including five consecutive shutouts against region opponents.
The No. 8 Seminoles will open the postseason against No. 25 Shiloh. A victory would send them into a second-round matchup against the winner of South Effingham and Clarke Central.
That could set up a quarterfinal showdown with Thomas County Central. Oh my.
Milton
The Milton Eagles enter the playoffs after clinching the Region 7-6A championship with a 33-26 victory over defending region champion Roswell.
Milton finished the regular season 9-1 and enters the Class 6A postseason as the No. 6 seed.
The Eagles will host No. 27 Northside (Columbus) in the opening round as they look to make another deep postseason run.
Sequoyah
This is the ultimate sleeper.
But the Sequoyah Chiefs shouldn’t be overlooked.
The Chiefs enter the playoffs at 9-1 after an impressive regular season, with their lone defeat coming against Lee County 49-32.
Sequoyah has shown it can compete with one of Class 6A’s top teams, making the Chiefs a dangerous opponent in the postseason.
The No. 7 Chiefs will open the playoffs against No. 26 Walnut Grove.
Class 6A First-Round Games to Watch
No. 19 Lassiter at No. 14 Gainesville
This could be one of the more interesting opening-round games in Class 6A.
No. 29 Tift County at No. 4 Coffee
These two Region 2-6A teams met earlier this season in Tifton, Georgia, with the Coffee Trojans pulling away in the second half.
Coffee led 21-14 at halftime before scoring two second-half touchdowns to defeat the Tift County Blue Devils 35-14.
Could we get another close one?
Class 5A Georgia High School Football Playoff Preview: Blessed Trinity and Cartersville Lead the Contenders
The Blessed Trinity Titans and Cartersville Purple Hurricanes are the top two seeds in Class 5A, and you won’t get much argument about either team’s ability to win a state championship.
But let’s look at some of the other teams in the playoff field that could give either Blessed Trinity or Cartersville a run for its money.
Blessed Trinity enters the playoffs as the No. 1 seed. If the Titans win their first two games, they could be looking at a quarterfinal matchup with No. 9 Marist.
The Marist War Eagles know a little something about winning playoff games and championships under head coach Alan Chadwick.
No. 2 Cartersville has a path to a possible semifinal matchup with No. 3 North Oconee or No. 6 Jefferson.
However, the Purple Hurricanes could also face a difficult quarterfinal matchup against No. 10 Central (Carrollton), which features standout quarterback JR Harris.
Class 4A Georgia High School Football Playoff Preview: Peach County and Troup County Among the Favorites
The top two seeds in Class 4A, No. 1 Peach County and No. 2 Troup County, faced off in their regular-season finale.
It was the Peach County Trojans who came roaring back from a 26-0 first-quarter deficit to defeat the Troup County Tigers 52-38.
Regardless, look for Peach County head coach Marquis Westbrook and Troup County head coach Tanner Glisson to have their teams among the favorites to win it all.
One of the more interesting potential matchups could feature No. 3 Monroe Area and No. 6 Dougherty in the quarterfinals.
The Cairo Syrupmakers are the No. 5 seed, and I’ve said throughout the season that they have the potential to make a run at a state championship.
However, a possible quarterfinal matchup with No. 4 Sandy Creek, the defending Class 3A state champion, could be a major obstacle.
In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the winner of that matchup advance to the state championship game.
But first, either Cairo or Sandy Creek could have to get past Peach County in the semifinals.
Class 3A Georgia High School Football Playoff Preview: Appling County Enters as No. 1 Seed
The Appling County Pirates enter the Class 3A playoffs as the No. 1 seed with a full head of steam after knocking off two top-five contenders, Toombs County and Pierce County, in the final two weeks of the regular season.
The Toombs County Bulldogs are the No. 2 seed, while Pierce County head coach Ryan Herring and his Bears enter as the No. 8 seed.
Any of those three teams could be hoisting the state championship trophy on the big stage at the end of the season.
Could Hart County Surprise the Class 3A Playoff Field?
Remember what I said in the introduction about how some of the higher seeds might surprise you? I give you Hart County.
Don’t get me wrong. The Hart County Bulldogs won nine of their 10 games this season and are a team to watch in the postseason.
But Hart County is the No. 3 seed, which likely surprises fans who haven’t kept up with head coach Biff Parson and his Bulldogs from Hartwell.
Hart County’s weekly position in the GHSF Daily Composite Poll generally ranged between No. 6 and No. 8.
The Bulldogs could face No. 6 Ringgold in the quarterfinals, with a possible semifinal matchup against Toombs County.
Yes, a lot has to happen between now and then, but the point is that you have a team at No. 3 that many fans probably weren’t expecting to see there.
Class 2A Georgia High School Football Playoff Preview: Could Cook Be a Dangerous Sleeper?
There is a very interesting matchup that could develop quickly in the Class 2A playoffs, perhaps as early as the second round.
If No. 1 Heard County wins its opening-round game against Bacon County, the Braves could face one of the most dangerous teams in the Class 2A field.
That would be the Cook Hornets, provided they first defeat No. 16 Fannin County.
Yes, Cook head coach Cornelius “Pig” Brown and his Hornets are seeded No. 17. While that seed might not cause many teams to worry, consider the following.
Cook started the season with a 36-35 victory over Swainsboro but then hit a rough patch, losing four of its next five games.
The Hornets’ offense was ineffective during that stretch, as a Wing-T system wasn’t consistently producing points.
Since switching to a spread offense that takes advantage of Cook quarterback Nole Register’s talents, the Hornets have shown significant improvement.
Cook lost a close seven-point matchup against Jeff Davis, defeated Fitzgerald by a touchdown, then fell to Thomasville 28-27 in overtime in its regular-season finale.
Despite finishing 4-6, Cook is ranked in the ITG Next Georgia Class 2A top 10 and has shown it can compete with some of the best teams in the classification.
Could Cook hang with Heard County? Well, the Hornets just took No. 2 Thomasville to overtime, played No. 5 Jeff Davis close, and earned victories over No. 13 Swainsboro and No. 9 Fitzgerald. That could make Cook a dangerous opponent in these playoffs.
Class 1A Georgia High School Football Playoff Preview: Can Bowdon Win a Fifth Straight State Championship?
Could 2026 be lucky No. 5 for Bowdon?
The Bowdon Red Devils enter the Class 1A playoffs as the No. 5 seed, looking to capture a fifth consecutive state championship.
Bowdon got off to a slow start this season with a 1-3 record, but the Red Devils rebounded nicely with six consecutive victories to finish the regular season 7-3.
They’ll open the playoffs against the Manchester Blue Devils, whom Bowdon defeated 47-20 in Week 9.
A potential quarterfinal matchup between Bowdon and No. 4 Randolph-Clay looms if both teams advance that far.
Lincoln County and Johnson County Lead the Class 1A Playoff Field
The Class 1A PSR is a bit more in line with the traditional media rankings, with the Lincoln County Red Devils seeded No. 1 and the Johnson County Trojans No. 2.
Johnson County could face No. 7 Macon County in the quarterfinals.
Other teams that could surprise opponents and are worth watching include No. 9 Mitchell County and No. 3 Taylor County.
Another team I’ve had in our ITG Next Georgia Class A top 10 for much of the season is Washington-Wilkes.
The Washington-Wilkes Tigers are currently ranked No. 7 in our top-10 poll and enter the playoffs as the No. 6 seed.
I think the Tigers from Washington are a team to watch.
2026 GHSA Private-School Football Playoff Preview: Prince Avenue Christian, Hebron Christian, and Aquinas
The two-time defending private-school state champion Hebron Christian Lions have had a bit of an off year, finishing the regular season 4-6.
But the playoffs bring new opportunities for the Lions and everyone else in the field.
Hebron Christian enters the postseason as the No. 18 seed and will face No. 15 Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (ELCA).
If Hebron Christian is going to make a run at a third consecutive state title, the Lions will have to defeat the ELCA Chargers before potentially facing No. 2 Holy Innocents’, which received a first-round bye.
Prince Avenue Christian Enters as the No. 1 Seed
The undefeated Prince Avenue Christian Wolverines received a first-round bye as the No. 1 seed and will face the winner of No. 17 Darlington and No. 16 Mount Bethel Christian Academy.
The Wolverines did not face either team during the regular season.
Prince Avenue Christian could be looking at a quarterfinal matchup against No. 8 Greater Atlanta Christian, which the Wolverines defeated 38-15 during the regular season.
Prince Avenue Christian finished the regular season undefeated and enters the playoffs as one of the favorites to win the state championship.
Aquinas and Christian Heritage Could Be Dangerous Playoff Contenders
The surprise team to watch is No. 3 Aquinas.
The Aquinas Fightin’ Irish started the season 3-2, with a 53-20 loss to Lincoln County and a 56-26 loss to Putnam County in a three-week span.
But the Irish reeled off five consecutive victories to finish the regular season 8-2 and capture their region championship, earning a first-round bye.
Aquinas could face No. 6 Wesleyan in the quarterfinals, although the Irish are in a section of the bracket that also includes Christian Heritage.
The Christian Heritage Lions are ranked No. 4 in our ITG Next Georgia private-school top 10 but enter the playoffs as the No. 11 seed.
Who do I like? Christian Heritage and head coach Frank Barden. The veteran coach led Cartersville to a state championship in 1999 and guided St. Francis to the semifinals in 2022 before taking over the Christian Heritage program in Dalton.
Can Barden lead his Lions to the semifinals or even a state championship?
We’ll be watching.
