Underrated Teams with State Championship Potential: Division II-A

We're in the deep part of the high school football offseason, where the portal has somewhat calmed down, and schools are beginning their prep for spring ball. With a lot of pieces coming in and veterans graduating, I thought it would be fun to talk about some sleeper state championship squads for every classification.   Starting this series, let's discuss five teams in the Division II-A state title picture who aren't getting talked about enough. Nashville Christian is the clear program to beat at the moment, but that doesn't mean there aren't teams that can stop them.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/01/30-Cayden-Creech-crop-661x434-1768612954.png" alt="" class="wp-image-2107411" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: USJ QB [player_tooltip player_id='446208' first='Cayden' last='Creech'] at a Prep Redzone camp.</figcaption></figure>   University School of Jackson – 11-2 in 2025   University School of Jackson had an excellent 2025 season, winning 11 games and reaching the Division II-A state championship game against Nashville Christian. While they were demolished 59-7, the Bruins were clearly the second-best team in that classification.   All the talk is on NCS, as they return several key players and welcome a new starting quarterback who looks like a future star. It's hard not to put the two-time defending champions as locks to do it again, but the Bruins are not to be taken lightly.   They return Mr. Football-hopeful quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='446208' first='Cayden' last='Creech'], several good receivers and a loaded defense led by 2027 DB [player_tooltip player_id='1687518' first='Bradley' last='Stamper']. While they may not receive the proper praise, this is easily a team that could make a run at the gold ball in 2026.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/12/bprater.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2088862" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Friendship Christian LB [player_tooltip player_id='1721153' first='Bruno' last='Prater'].</figcaption></figure>   Friendship Christian School – 9-3 in 2025   Friendship Christian is an intriguing team for next season, as they lose two of their best players but return the nucleus of the 2025 squad, which was one of the best in Division II-A. Freshman tailback Ryder Wolcott is back after running for 712 yards and 12 touchdowns on 5.4 YPC.   The Commanders also bring back their starting quarterback, two of their top receivers from 2025, and several defensive players. Linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1721153' first='Bruno' last='Prater'] and defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1855561' first='Gideon' last='Knox'] are the two who stand out, as they combined for 173 tackles, 43 for a loss and 11 sacks last season.   While they won't be on that first list of potential state title picks, FCS is a sneaky-good school that needs to be talked about more.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/12/Photo-Dec-29-2025-2-50-34-PM-crop-1091x717-1767041597.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2091025" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: CCS QB [player_tooltip player_id='1633788' first='Kohbe' last='Ward']. Photo from his X/Twitter.</figcaption></figure>   Concord Christian School – 6-5 in 2025   Concord Christian is another sleeper team that could make a deep postseason run next season. They're not as complete a team as the two that I listed above, but the Lions have one of the best players in this classification with 2029 quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1633788' first='Kohbe' last='Ward'].   As a freshman, he totaled 2,401 total yards and 25 touchdowns to four turnovers. Ward is a terrific talent, but he's not the only one who can play. Their leader in receiving, tackles, receiving touchdowns, and interceptions will also be back for next season.   In other words, there is a ton of returning production, and they all should take that next step. Concord Christian won't get talked about too much, but they're a team that could shock a lot of people in 2026.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/06/krose-crop-401x263-1769727158.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2116387" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Jackson Christian EDGE Kelsey Rose Jr.</figcaption></figure>   Jackson Christian School – 9-3 in 2025   I like what the 2026 Jackson Christian team could be, but there are still some big questions about the roster that need answering. They lost starting quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1942274' first='Eli' last='Smith'], who had a solid senior season, accounting for 1,780 total yards and 18 touchdowns in 12 games.   However, the Eagles return two of their top running backs and several starting wide receivers. A good portion of their defense was made up of underclassmen and will also return in 2026.   So, the roster is still relatively intact, but losing the two most productive defenders and your quarterback is rough. That coaching staff has done a great job of developing talent over the past few seasons, so I trust that they'll figure it out.   If the Eagles can backfill the production lost by last year's senior class, they will be a dangerous team next season.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/01/86-Cooper-Jones-crop-586x385-1769727224.png" alt="" class="wp-image-2116389" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: MTCS LB [player_tooltip player_id='1672075' first='Cooper' last='Jones'] at a Prep Redzone camp.</figcaption></figure>   Middle Tennessee Christian School – 6-4 in 2025   MTCS head coach Christian Peterson has done a great job of turning this program into a perennial playoff squad, including a state title victory in 2023. They're coming off another solid campaign, going 6-4 and making the quarterfinals, but losing to Trinity Christian Academy.   Despite that, the Cougars return a lot of their roster, including superstar tailback [player_tooltip player_id='1066002' first='Alie' last='Bangura'], who rushed for 1,139 yards and 14 touchdowns as a sophomore. He's a player who can lead this team to a lot of postseason success in 2026, but don't sleep on their defense.   Led by one of the best linebackers in Tennessee, [player_tooltip player_id='1672075' first='Cooper' last='Jones'], this unit could be an excellent one. They lose some key pieces, but there's a good group of young players on that side of the ball. With another offseason to develop, MTCS could be a team that makes a deep run and potentially the second state championship appearance in the last five seasons.

We're in the deep part of the high school football offseason, where the portal has somewhat calmed down, and schools are beginning their prep for spring ball. With a lot of pieces coming in and veterans graduating, I thought it would be fun to talk about some sleeper state championship squads for every classification.