The Maxwell Ratings, compiled by mathematician and Georgia High School Football Historians Association founder Loren Maxwell, have projected the region finishes of all 415 football-playing schools in the GHSA. The projections are based on historical scores, with the most recent season weighing most heavily. Teams that did unusually well, or poorly, in 2025 are projected to regress toward the mean. The ratings do not consider changes in player personnel or coaching staff. Below are Maxwell’s projections and a brief look at how Class A shapes up in 2026. Added this season is each team’s projected finish in the GHSA’s PSR (Post Season Rankings), which determine playoff teams and seeds. The difference between projected team strength (class rank) and the PSR is largely the result of schedule strength that might help or hurt a team in playoff seeding.

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Carrollton High School shows up to Buford’s Tom Riden Stadium for a semifinal 6A GHSA football playoff matchup in Buford, GA on December 6, 2024. (Jamie Spaar for the AJC)

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Kevin Blair, CEO of Pinnacle, on the top floor of the Ten Twenty Spring office tower at 1020 Spring St. NW on Friday, July 31, 2026, in Atlanta. Pinnacle will occupy 165,000 square feet of premier office space at Ten Twenty Spring and bring an estimated 400 team members to the building. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC