Countdown to prep football: Three bold predictions for the 2026 season

Hit or miss, it’s time for a few more shots in the dark.

Predictions are nothing new around here, although it’d be nice to be correct once in a while. After two years of this business, results have been mixed at best.

But here we go again.

The Daily Herald’s countdown to prep football continues this week as we bring you insight related to the 2026 football campaign for teams, players and coaches throughout our coverage area. We’ll reach No. 1 on Aug. 21 — opening night for the bulk of the state.

So far we’ve listed 10 of the area’s top senior recruits, nine juniors to watch, eight quarterbacks on our radar, seven new head coaches, six stellar season openers, five of the toughest schedules and four area teams facing out-of-state competition.

Now we strap in for three bold predictions for the 2026 season.

Back to the drawing board

The biggest story this season is the expanded playoffs bloating the field from 256 to 384 teams. The massive shift was approved in last year’s bylaw amendment proposal ballot, with 377 members schools voting in favor and 252 against.

A definite mandate, but is it poised for a reversal? Bold prediction No. 1 is someone will put forth a new proposal to roll back the expansion and return to 32 playoff teams in each class.

Several years ago, the member schools voted in favor of a district proposal that would have eliminated conferences in regular-season play. The proposal, however, wasn’t slated to take effect until two years later.

That gave opponents time to present a counterproposal the next year to eliminate districts before even giving them a try. The strategy worked, and the next vote led to no more districts.

Perhaps the smartest strategy of the playoff expansion proposal was implementing it the very next season. A year of established expansion in 2026 may be enough to hold off attempts to return to 256 qualifiers, but I bet someone gives it a shot.

Private thoughts

The other elephant in the room is the continuing dominance of private schools.

Mt. Carmel is a massive favorite to claim an 18th state title, fifth straight overall and second straight in Class 8A. Waiting in the wings is Loyola, which won the previous three 8A titles.

Brother Rice, Fenwick, St. Francis, Montini, Nazareth, Joliet Catholic, Marist, IC Catholic Prep … there’s no end to the private school title-chasers. There were five champions last year and seven the year before.

Bold prediction No. 2 is at least a couple public schools will stun their way past the wall of private schools. Whether it’s Batavia, East St. Louis (not so stunning), Maine South, Glenbard West or others, Thanksgiving weekend will be kinder to the larger public schools.

QB once in a generation

Between Montini’s Israel Abrams (Miami, Fla.), Maine South’s Jameson Purcell (Indiana) and Hersey’s Jake Nawrot (Kentucky), the area’s Class of 2027 for quarterbacks is one for the ages.

Bold prediction No. 3 is the crop of senior signalcallers will be even stronger than expected. Geneva’s Ben Peterson (Eastern Michigan) and Batavia’s Michael Vander Luitgaren (Wyoming) are just the beginning of the depth.

Prospect’s Jackson Cacini (Eastern Illinois), IC Catholic Prep’s Nate Lang and Glenbard West’s A.J. Rayford are all poised for breakout seasons.

kschmit@dailyherald.com