It's finally flag football season.
From newly sanctioned states officially joining the party to 57-game win streaks and a rising new California titan, this fall season is shaping up to be a great one. As always, there are a few questions marks, controversies and rising stars that undoubtedly will shape (and have shaped) conversation around the season - so we're here to dive in.
Here are some of the biggest questions and storylines that we're keeping an eye on heading into the 2026 high school flag football season.
1. How will Sierra Canyon (Calif.) fare?
Our guess: very well. After shaking up a number of California powerhouses, the Trailblazers are stacked and ready to roll. They’ll have some lethal connections
from Makena Cook, one of the top high school quarterbacks in the nation who transferred in from Orange Lutheran, and sophomore wide receivers Ava Irwin and Angela DuBois, who transferred in from JSerra and Orange Lutheran, respectively, after incredible freshman seasons for both of them. Helming the ship will be Michaeltore Smith, who has previously coached at Camarillo, Ventura College and UCLA club. There’s a ton of talent and experience in this group, and we see them being competitive against all the best California has to offer.
2. Can Central (Ala.) keep its 57-game win streak alive?
Central, USA TODAY's Super 25 champion in back-to-back seasons, has quickly established itself as one of the premier flag football programs in the country. The Red Devils are riding a 57-game win streak, with their last loss coming in 2022. Central is coming off of arguably its most impressive season yet, where it secured its third-straight AHSAA Class 6A-7A state title and outscored opponents 840-39. Although that squad had 11 seniors — including starting quarterback and MaxPreps Alabama Flag Football Player of the Year Mariah Harrison — the Red Devils have proven they are capable of winning with no matter who is on the field. As Central takes on some of the toughest opponents in the country, the seniors will try to finish out an undefeated flag football career.
3. What can we expect from the states competing in their first officially sanctioned season of the sport?
It’s been a busy offseason. Three fall-season states have officially sanctioned flagsince the end of last season, so there are some question marks swirling about how these newcomers will fare. For a few, it will be business as usual. North Carolina and Maryland, although among those newly sanctioned states, have a few years of play under their belts and programs like Wakefield and Clarksburg that continue to rise in the national conversation. North Carolina's big change will be combining their fall and spring season teams into one, all-encompassing fall season this year, so that could definitely cause some interesting shakeups. Flag in Kansas, however, is a bit smaller and fresher. Aside from Illinois and Ohio, the Midwest is one of the emptiest officially sanctioned flag regions, so it will be interesting to see how a Kansas season plays out and if it sparks some change in the region.
4. Why is Illinois’ season only five weeks long?
This year, the Illinois flag football regular season will be shortened by one week, as both the football and flag football playoffs are set to take place one week earlier than past years. In June, however, the IHSA announced the football season would begin one week earlier to accommodate this change while flag football would begin at its normal time. Because the flag season was already just six weeks long — compared to football's seven-week season — the girls are faced with just five weeks of play. Coaches have the opportunity to schedule up to 25 games, meaning teams will now play between three and five games per week. The first games will begin Aug. 24 and the state playoffs begin Sep. 29-Oct. 1.
5. Can Makenna Cook replicate her insane junior season?
Her junior season at Orange Lutheran,where she threw for 7,083 yards with a 74% completion rate, was quite a blockbuster. When thinking about whether she can replicate, the strength of her sophomore season (throwing for 6,611 yards with a 73.6% completion rate) does point to a strong consistency in her game...We think it might be safe to expect at least more of the same. The built-from-scratch Sierra Canyon team is the unknown variable in this equation, but with the squad they’re cooking up over there, things are looking pretty good on that front. Cook will have quite a few new eyes on her during her senior season – becoming the first woman to receive a Power 4 flag football offer sparked a media frenzy before her transfer ever hit the news, so she’s one of the sport’s most recognizable high school faces at the moment. It will be very interesting to see how her senior season pans out.
6. Will Hamilton (Ariz.) complete another undefeated season?
Hamilton has spent the past two seasons establishing itself as one of Arizona’s premier flag football teams. From back-to-back state championship titles to undefeated seasons the past two years, the Huskies have been on a roll. However, Hamilton’s roster will look completely different this year. Starting quarterback Marlie Phillips transferred to Peoria Liberty and Kayden Kisler, one of the state's top rushers, transferred to Gilbert Highland. Add the 12 players who graduated to that list, including star receiver Samaya Taylor-Jenkins, and there will certainly be some new faces on the field this year. In a state loaded with talent, Hamilton will attempt another state championship run with a new set of talent.
7. What will the college landscape look like in a year? In a month?
The talk of the town in high school flag football is, of course, the world of scholarships opening up. The sports' exponential growth does, of course, come with some of the growing pains one would expect of a sport with full NCAA and Olympic competition on the horizon, and, really, its anyone's guess what's up next. Nearly 400 collegiate teams will be in play this fall and, assuming the NCAA's recommended inaugural championship year of 2028 sticks, a number more will presumably soon be announcing flag programs and revving up recruitment efforts to break up Nebraska's monopoly on the sport's top stars. For now the Cornhuskers, the only Power 4 school to announce a flag program, are often the belle of the ball, and the offers and commitments will just keep slinging this season. A couple of players with Nebraska offers will be on high school fields this fall, chief among them QB Makena Cook at Sierra Canyon (Calif.), who is still officially committed to Georgia for soccer, and QB Lacie Nemchick at Highland (Ariz.). We're intrigued to see all that's happened at the sports' next step by even just the end of this season.
8. Will Greenbrier (Ga.) complete a historic four-peat?
Greenbrier, Georgia’s top ranked team, has been unstoppable the past three years. The Wolfpack has combined for a 62-5 record with three state championship titles. Even through roster and head coach changes, Greenbrier continued to end up on that stage holding a state championship trophy. With junior quarterback Addisen Odom returning to the helm alongside star safety and receiver Jayla Ayer, the Wolfpack already have some important positions filled. Perhaps more importantly, Greenbrier has proven that they can win regardless of who is on the field. The Wolfpack, however, will have to fight through some of the top teams in the country — including Milton and Southeast Bulloch — to get back to Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
9. Can Mountain Vista (Colo.) three-peat without MaxPreps National Flag Football Player of the Year Ariana Akey?
Since Colorado sanctioned flag football as a high school varsity sport two years ago, Mountain Vista has become the standard. With two state titles and a perfect 38-0 record, the Golden Eagles have become the team to beat. However, a lot of their success can be contributed to first-ever MaxPreps National Flag Football Player of the Year in Ariana Akey. In two years, she threw for 8,980 yards and 171 touchdowns while also rushing for 2,769 yards and 35 touchdowns. To round out her high school career, she rushed for five touchdowns and threw two more in the state championship against Legend last year. Akey has handed the torch to junior Peyton Marr who will try to bring her own success to the Golden Eagles. Although Marr has some big shoes to fill, she saw some playing time of her own last year and has spent the past two seasons learning from one of the best quarterbacks in the country.
10. Who can beat JSerra (Calif.)?
Last year, the answer was no one, when the Lions went undefeated against a schedule packed with California’s powerhouse programs. Will anyone be able to change that this year? It’s looking tough. JSerra is returning their standout duo of Kate Meier and Ava Van Heerde, both only sophomores this season, who shared quarterback duties and led JSerra through last year’s stellar regular season campaign and state title run. They’ve definitely had their roster losses, not the least of which being Ava Irwin, a star wide receiver who transferred to Sierra Canyon, but talent abounds here to help fill that gap. Standout foes like Orange Lutheran and Huntington Beach are looking strong, and Sierra Canyon might end up being one of the strongest contenders to get a win over the Lions, so all that's left to do is wait and see.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 10 biggest questions entering the 2026 high school flag football season
