Preseason Division 1 Team Tier List

Another fun preseason article! Honestly, it's very hard to come up with relevant evaluation pieces right before the season. Sure, I can list who my top QBs are in D1, but I've already talked most guys to death. I'll have more eval pieces once the season begins on Thursday.   Until then, here's a fun article where I rank playoff-likely D1 programs in a tier list!   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">S Tier - State Championship Favorites</h2>   Detroit Cass Tech   The East Side of the Division 1 bracket last year was insane. Cass Tech got off to a slow start in 2024, but kept on improving week after week. Cass Tech went from losing to Rockford in Week 1 to beating Dakota, Detroit Catholic Central, and Hudsonville in the postseason. They've got the talent and the coaching to match. I'd frankly be shocked if Cass Tech didn't advance to the semifinals at the very least.   Detroit Catholic Central   A historic powerhouse on the rise once again. I'd argue that Detroit Catholic Central overperformed expectations last season. Defeating Belleville in last year's Regional Finals will undoubtedly live on in DCC history. This year, they return a very promising young QB in [player_tooltip player_id='1157439' first='Duke' last='Banta'], the state's top receiver in [player_tooltip player_id='1148715' first='Samson' last='Gash'], an excellent offensive line, and several young guys expected to grow into college prospects. This offense will be near-impossible to stop as long as Banta lives up to the hype.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">A Tier - State Championship Hopefuls</h2>   Saline   There is a LOT of buzz surrounding the Saline program right now. [player_tooltip player_id='568192' first='Tommy' last='Carr'] is leading the ship one final time. Prospects like [player_tooltip player_id='1625661' first='Louis' last='Esposito'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1615810' first='Bryce' last='Barbarino'] have exploded onto the scene this offseason. This is looking like the most balanced Saline team of the 2020s. Of course, Saline has been a great program for a while. Though over the past four years, they've been plagued by a man named Bryce Underwood. With Belleville expected to take a step back, this opens the door for Saline to finally knock on the doors of Ford Field. Still, in order for me to view Saline as a State Championship favorite, they've got to beat one of these S or A tier programs.   Belleville   This is still an excellent team without Bryce Underwood. They've got [player_tooltip player_id='1149421' first='Kendall' last='Franklin'] leading the offense this season, with another super promising young QB prepping at the JV level. The offense should still be great, with power 4 offered receiver Tre Britton and breakout RB candidate [player_tooltip player_id='1615717' first='Trenton' last='Foley']. All-around, this team is still incredibly talented. They did lose a significant amount of talent in the class of 2025- we'll see how much of a step back, if any, they take.   Dakota   I'm bullish on Dakota this season. Last year, they were one of the most balanced teams in the state. A suffocating run defense, playmakers on the backend, and an efficent, clock-eating offense. What they didn't have last year was a QB who could air it out. They've found their guy with [player_tooltip player_id='1225800' first='Nikkos' last='Davis']. Alongside another year of development from [player_tooltip player_id='1398745' first='Jeramiah' last='Aaron'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1157440' first='Elijah' last='Goins'], Dakota's offense should be one of the best in Michigan. They went toe-to-toe with Cass Tech last season- let's see if they can get the job done in 2025.   Hudsonville   It was a storybook 2024 season for Hudsonville. A week 2 win against East Lansing kicked off their success, and the win against Rockford sent their confidence through the roof. After that Rockford win, Hudsonville looked unstoppable. A senior-led offense led the way with 30.9PPG, and an agressive defense only gave up 15PPG. Good enough to win against the OK Red, but I'd agrue their best two 2024 wins came against red-hot Howell and Adams. Yes, Hudsonville does replace a lot of talent. Though, this is still the team to beat in the OK Red. If this team can get hot again- look out!   Clarkston   The Wolves are always in the state championship conversation. While other programs have their up years and down years, Clarkston has been incredibly consistent. Last season, they had a Rochester Adams problem. They need to find a way to beat Adams, or else they'll be headed for another early exit.   Rochester Adams   Adams is another OAA Red team that has been incredibly consistent in recent memory. This could be their year. The Veer offense works wonders with a big, strong QB and a reliable pitch option. They've got those positions covered with [player_tooltip player_id='566987' first='Ryland' last='Watters'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1529567' first='Cameron' last='Dawood']. This is usually an incredibly balanced program. If fully healthy, don't be shocked if we see Adams at Ford Field this season.   Grand Blanc   The SV South is going to be fun this season. I feel that Grand Blanc, Davison, and Saginaw Heritage (D2) will all take a step forward this season. The Bobcats are the team to beat in this league. This team averaged 32.3PPG in 2024, and they'll once again have one of the best offenses in Michigan, led by [player_tooltip player_id='909904' first='Jake' last='Morrow']. The defense also took a step up last season, giving up 19.25PPG, down from 24PPG in 2023.   Davison   An outstanding 40.4PPG last season. Senior QB [player_tooltip player_id='119260' first='Jaxson' last='Dosh'] should help Davison put up similar numbers this season. Davison's defense needs an upgrade. Giving up 24PPG isn't awful, but it can absolutely be improved upon. New defensive coordinator Chris Fahr should bring new life into the defensive unit. If Davison's defense takes a leap, this team's ceiling will rise significantly.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">B Tier - State Championship Dark Horses</h2>   Rockford   I can't remember Rockford ever being ranked so low. The high point of last season was Week 1's win against Cass Tech. Then, losses to Hudsonville and Jenison seemed to have taken the wind out of Rockford's sails. 5 returning starters for Rockford, but this is nothing new. I'd expect Rockford's returners to take another step up, while new Varsity starters should take a big step forward. This Thursday's matchup against Saline will say a lot about this 2025 Rockford squad.   Howell   It was a masterful 2024 season for Howell. The KLAA Championship win against Belleville will be etched into Howell football history forever. Howell has graduated a significant amount of talent, but they're still the #1 team to beat in the KLAA West. Let's see if Howell can reload and prove themselves once again, or if last season was simply a flash in the pan.   Grandville   The Bulldogs took advantage of their opportunities in late 2024. They finally knocked Rockford out of the postseason and nearly upset Hudsonville the following week. The biggest thing for Grandville is winning those close games. In my experience, the Bulldogs seemed to slip in close games. That issue came up a couple of times early last season, but was finally alleviated after week 3. If that defense can be on-par with last season and if [player_tooltip player_id='206418' first='Jayden' last='Terry'] can remain healthy, we could see Grandville at Ford Field.   East Kentwood   The Falcons took an immediate step forward in Tyrone Spencer's first season. This team just kept getting better as the season went on. [player_tooltip player_id='570285' first='Kayd' last='Coffman'] has a great group of weapons- this passing offense should be incredible. Plus, they've got a no-fly zone going with [player_tooltip player_id='1331349' first='Austin' last='Nelson']. The key to this team's success will lie in the offensive and defensive lines. The D-Line looks promising. I'm hoping the O-Line can pave the way to a decent ground game. EK is expected by many, including me, to take another massive step forward this season.   Lake Orion   The Dragons will be right in the mix this season. 6-4 isn't a bad record, especially in the OAA Red. The Dragons three regular-season losses came from a combined 7 points. They were RIGHT there last season, and they have an opportunity to surprise a lot of people this season.   West Bloomfield   Just a step behind other OAA Red programs last season. West Bloomfield was below .500 last season, but still managed a +70 point differential. West Bloomfield does have the talent, but at this point, we're quite a few years separated from West Bloomfield's peak. They still have a significant amount of talent and could greatly improve this season. Looking for better poise in big-time matchups.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">C Tier - Deep Playoff Run Candidate </h2>   Utica Eisenhower   IKE had an up-and-down 2024. Finished 8-3, beat Dakota in the regular season, but finished the year by getting stomped by Clarkston, then Dakota flipped the script on them in the District Finals. I like some of IKE's pieces this season. They've got talent in the skill positions once again. Though, IKE's region is going to be stacked this season. Especially with rival Dakota having extremely high expectations, I fear that IKE will need to vastly overperform if they're going to make it to Ford Field.   Brighton   Brighton has been knocking on the door for a bit. You can always count on them to have a good QB. They'll once again be confident with their QB and weapons, with some young talent able to step up if needed. I am not worried about their offense. 35PPG is an incredible number. What I am worried about is their defense; giving up 30.2 points per game will almost guarantee an early playoff exit. Tighten up the D, and we've got a deep playoff run on our hands.   Northville   I'm incredibly excited to see what Northville is able to accomplish this season. For one, I love their Quarterback, [player_tooltip player_id='1225836' first='Cooper' last='Derkach']. I feel that he can lead Northville to a better offensive season than last year. In addition, Northville had a solid defense, only giving up 20 points per game. You need to bring the strength of schedule into account here a little, but hey, both units were successful last season.

Another fun preseason article! Honestly, it's very hard to come up with relevant evaluation pieces right before the season. Sure, I can list who my top QBs are in D1, but I've already talked most guys to death. I'll have more eval pieces once the season begins on Thursday.