After months of film study, conversations with coaches and evaluating returning talent from across Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana, the TriStateFootball.com staff has selected the Official 2026 Preseason All-TSF First Team presented by Gold Star.
This year’s First Team recognizes many of the region’s most accomplished returning players heading into the 2026 high school football season. From dynamic quarterbacks and explosive playmakers to dominant linemen and lockdown defenders, these athletes have already established themselves among the area’s elite while setting the stage for another exciting fall.
📸 Explore the First Team Gallery
We’ve also created a photo gallery featuring every First Team selection, allowing fans to put faces with the names of this year’s preseason honorees.
Whether you’re celebrating your school’s representatives or checking out the talent across the Tri-State, the gallery offers a closer look at the players expected to make headlines throughout the 2026 season.
👉 View the complete 2026 Preseason All-TSF First Team
Now It’s Your Turn
While the TriStateFootball.com staff has already selected the Official First Team, fan voting is now underway to help determine the remaining members of the 2026 Preseason All-TSF Team presented by Gold Star.
Fans can cast ballots for:
🏈 Offense
🛡️ Defense
Voting remains open through Sunday, August 16 at 6:00 p.m. ET, and fans may vote once every hour in each positional poll.
Proudly Presented by Gold Star
The 2026 Preseason All-TSF Team is proudly presented by Gold Star, whose longstanding partnership with TriStateFootball.com has helped celebrate the outstanding student-athletes, coaches and communities that make high school football such an important tradition throughout the Tri-State.
As our coverage enters its 20th season, we’re proud to continue expanding that partnership by recognizing even more deserving players through both our Preseason and Postseason All-TSF Teams.
