The 2026 Ohio high school football season kicks off Aug. 20, and The Dispatch has previewed the next 10 weeks by class and position, and with our own burning questions.
Now it is time to step out on a limb and make our annual bold predictions.
These go beyond our previous questions and more obvious storylines among almost 100 central Ohio teams.
Here are our bold predictions for this season, the first five by Dave Purpura and the second five by Frank DiRenna:
Only one central Ohio team will win a state championship this year
After two seasons in which two Columbus-area teams have raised championship trophies – Olentangy Orange and Watterson last year and Olentangy Liberty and Watterson in 2024 – only one will win it all this year.
On paper, even though it has moved up to Division II, Watterson probably has the best
chance given all the veteran talent it returns from those title teams combined with the players who would have long since stepped into key positions. But stepping back a bit, the lone state champion will be whichever team emerges from Division II, Region 7, then gets past (likely) the Cincinnati-area semifinalist. The winner will break northeast Ohio’s stranglehold on this classification, and it would be quite an achievement if Toledo Central Catholic – the Division III runner-up to Watterson each of the past two years – knocks off a northeast Ohio team in the other Division II semifinal.
Why no Division I champion? Lakewood St. Edward has to be sick of losing to central Ohio on Black Friday at Arlin Field in Mansfield. The Eagles are more hungry than ever to snap that two-game semifinal skid.
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Walnut Ridge-East in Week 1 will showcase City League’s playoff winners
It is not every year that the two City League division champions from the previous season square off, but that will be the case at venerable Harley Field in Week 1 when two-time defending South Division champion Walnut Ridge visits North Division winner East.
Only one of them will win the opener, but both of them will win in Week 11, making these two teams the City League’s representatives in the second round of the playoffs.
Playoff wins are impressive and special in any case, even in the era of expanded participation, but Walnut Ridge and East holding their own in Region 7 and Division III, Region 11, respectively, will be especially memorable given that they are two of the toughest regions statewide.
It is Olentangy’s turn to make a deep run this fall
This pick is about more than this fall being the Braves’ “turn” in the wake of Division I championship runs from two of their biggest rivals the past two years.
But no area program has had more success in that time without winning a playoff game than Olentangy, which is 16-4 the past two regular seasons only to come up short in its postseason openers to Orange in 2024 and Liberty a year ago following a first-round bye.
The Braves have a gauntlet to start with Upper Arlington, Perrysburg and Orange the first three weeks and Liberty in Week 5 before they enter a winnable OCC-Cardinal. Olentangy graduated a plethora of talent on defense, including Ohio State signees Kaden Gebhardt and CJ Sanna, but speedy defensive back Jet Cornelius, standout receiver Mike Alexander and offensive lineman Grady Hawk, among others, provide a strong foundation. Kaden’s younger brother, junior safety Ty Gebhardt, also seems poised for a big season.
Central Ohio will have three 2,000-yard running backs
Last year in this space, we predicted five local running backs would reach this milestone. At least that many did so, and there might have been more given that not all teams submit statistics.
So this fall, let’s go with three. Big Walnut senior Nolan Buirley is seeking this milestone for the third year in a row, and other candidates to near or surpass 2,000 yards this fall should include Bloom-Carroll’s Kyson Cline, Pickerington Central’s Edmund McAllister III, Johnstown’s Ryan Sager, Canal Winchester’s Jamari Snow, Pickerington North’s Andyriq Thomas and Danville’s Cyren Wallace. Of the latter group, only Sager reached that plateau in 2025.
So much goes into reaching 2,000 yards, including health, play selection, number of games and, as any good back will tell you, cohesion of the offensive line. Whoever gets there will have more than earned their accolades.
One local defensive player will be a Mr. Football finalist
To be clear, it is tough to be nominated for Mr. Football as a defensive player, let alone win. The last such player to win was Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary product and future Buckeye Dante Booker in 2013, but Booker also played tight end for the eventual Division III state champions.
Who in central Ohio could command such respect? Columbus Academy lineman Reinaldo Perez for one, and possibly also Watterson edge rusher Jack Schuler. Don’t rule out DeSales’ Jordan Karhoff, who is committed to Virginia Tech as a tight end but was tremendously effective on the defensive line last year and should be again.
Olentangy Liberty returns to OHSAA state semifinals
Division I, Region 3 has more than a handful of powerhouse teams, but look for a recent state champion to emerge as this season’s winner. Liberty, which captured its first state title in 2024, will survive the regional gauntlet and make a bid for another state championship.
The Patriots return six starters on both offense and defense. That includes senior quarterback Alex Leonard, whose brother, Andrew, was the quarterback on the state championship team.
In what could be a state semifinal preview, Liberty faces St. Edward in the opener Aug. 21.
Expect the three other Olentangy programs to also have a say in the playoff picture. Orange defeated Liberty 21-17 in a regional semifinal last season on the way to its first state title.
All three Hilliard programs will reach postseason
For the first time since 2023, Bradley, Darby and Davidson will qualify for the playoffs in the same season. All three are in Division I, Region 2.
Bradley was the district’s lone representative last season, beating Dublin Jerome 20-14 before losing 23-22 to Troy in a Region 2 quarterfinal to finish 6-6.
Darby (3-7) and Davidson (4-6) feature strong returning groups and plenty of optimism. Second-year Darby coach Brad Burchfield knows what it takes to win – he won three state championships at Hartley – and Davidson coach Jeremey Scally has been a major contributor to his program’s past success, first as an assistant and now in his seventh season as head coach.
Of the three, look for Bradley to advance the furthest – at least to the second round – with the potential of reaching the regional final.
Big Walnut workhorse makes bid for Ohio Mr. Football
Buirley, who has committed to play linebacker at Northwestern, will be a finalist for the state’s top individual honor after again topping 2,000 yards rushing and leading the Golden Eagles to their third consecutive Region 7 final.
Buirley rushed for 2,226 yards and 30 touchdowns on 242 carries last fall as Big Walnut reached a second straight state semifinal.
He would be the first recipient from central Ohio since Upper Arlington’s Jeff Backes in 2000. Backes also went on play at Northwestern.
Westland earns first postseason win
Also in Region 2, Westland will continue its climb under fourth-year coach Trent Williamson and win a playoff game for the first time.
The Cougars have reached the playoffs the past two years, losing their openers 36-6 to Huber Heights Wayne last season and Dublin Coffman 49-42 in 2024.
Westland also advanced to the playoffs in 2006, in Region 3, losing 28-21 to Upper Arlington in the first round.
With the return of several key players and the addition of senior quarterback Mike Daniels, a transfer from Ready, the Cougars will earn their first postseason win and further solidify their improvement under Williamson.
Danville gets back to Division VII state semifinals
With the return of nine starters on both offense and defense, Danville will advance to its sixth state semifinal and first since 2024.
The Blue Devils lost 25-20 to Jeromesville Hillsdale in the Region 27 final last season and 25-22 to Hillsdale in a 2024 state semi. Hillsdale is now in Division VI, but even if that foe had not moved up, the Blue Devils are ready to take the next step behind dynamic playmakers in sophomore quarterback Parker Proper and Wallace, a junior, at running back.
Danville also returns its five leading tacklers from a season ago and four of five starters on the offensive line. That experience will help the Blue Devils make a bid for their first state final.
High school sports reporters Frank DiRenna and Dave Purpura can be reached at sports@dispatch.com and at @DispatchPreps on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 10 bold predictions for 2026 central Ohio high school football season
