50 Mississippi high school football questions, 50 days before start of 2023 season

The Mississippi high school football 2023 season is quickly approaching with the opening games in the MHSAA and MAIS kicking off in less than two months.

We've reached the 50-day mark before the first MHSAA high school football Thursday night game.

Here are 50 questions regarding MHSAA and MAIS programs as we approach the first games of the season.

1. How will adding a seventh MHSAA classification impact the power balance in Class 6A and Class 5A?

2. Will four-star recruit Kamarion Franklin break his single-sack record of 19 sacks in his senior season?

3. Can Stanford commitment Chris Davis out-rush former Picayune standout Dante Dowdell, who finished with 2,165 yards and 31 touchdowns last season?

4. Will Illinois commitment Trey Petty and Mississippi State commitment Braylon Burnside lead Starkville to consecutive MHSAA championships?

5. Is this the year that Brandon — after reaching the MHSAA Class 6A title games the last two years — gets over the hump?

6. Will Bay Springs dominate in MHSAA Class 2A without four-star recruit Ty Jones?

7. Will quarterbacks avoid throwing to PJ Woodland's side of the field after the Mississippi State commitment finished with seven interceptions last season?

8. Can Jackson Prep hold off Madison-Ridgeland Academy and Hartfield Academy to win consecutive MAIS Class 6A championships?

9. What team will have the most players selected for the 2023 Clarion Ledger All-State Team?

10. Which defensive linemen will have the better season: Kamarion Franklin, Jamonta Waller or Kamron Beavers?

11. Can four-star recruit Kahnen Daniels help West Point finally win the MHSAA Class 5A championship?

12. Will Brandon's rivalry with Oak Grove continue with a MHSAA Class 7A playoff matchup?

13. Which Hattiesburg-area defensive lineman — Andrew Maddox or Kevin Oatis — will emerge as the top defensive recruit in the Class of 2025?

14. Tupelo's pursuit of an undefeated season ended in the MHSAA Class 6A semifinals. Can quarterback Jeremiah Harrell and Texas A&M recruit Tristan Jernigan lead the Golden Wave on another deep playoff run?

15. Can Greenville St. Joe win consecutive MAIS titles without CJ Moore and Kye Nelson?

16. Will Brandon running back Nate Blount have back-to-back, 2,000-yard rushing seasons and improve on his 26 TDs last season?

17. Suntarine Perkins delivered Raleigh its first state championship in program history last year. How will the Lions and coach Ryan Higdon fare without the consensus No. 1 recruit in the state.

18. How will Itawamba AHS cope on offense and defense without Gatorade Player of the Year Isaac Smith, who had 18 total TDs on offense and nine interceptions on defense?

19. Will this season prove that five-star wide receiver Caleb Cunningham is the best recruit in the state regardless of class?

20. Will four-star recruit Deuce Knight have a breakout season after passing for 1,929 passing yards, 488 rushing yards and 23 total TDs in 2022?

21. Which Holmes County Central recruit — Terrance Hibbler or Cortez Thomas — will stand out the most this season?

22. Who will take over as the king of MHSAA Class 6A after the latest reclassification?

23. Will Daniel Hill, the four-star running back, commit before Meridian's season opener on Aug. 24?

24. How will Ridgeland's offense look without four-star wide receiver Ayden Williams and under new coach Todd McDaniel?

25. Will Isaiah Autry, William Echoles or TJ Lockhart emerge as the top offensive lineman in the state?

26. Can Ole Miss commitment Jeremy Scott lead Callaway to consecutive MHSAA playoff appearances?

27. Where does Ocean Springs go without standout quarterback Brayson Hubbard under center?

28. Who will be Madison Central's starting quarterback after the graduation of Vic Sutton and Jake Norris?

29. Who will win the inaugural MHSAA Class 7A championship?

30. Which Southern Miss defensive recruit — Caleb Moore, Aaron Travis or Christopher Jones — will have the best season?

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31. Can Ole Miss and coach Lane Kiffin keep Kamarion Franklin in-state?

32. Is Brandon vs. Picayune the best Week 1 matchup in the MHSAA?

33. Picayune is 29-1 in the last two seasons. Can the Maroon Tide pull off another undefeated season in MHSAA Class 6A?

34. Will Southern Miss commitment John White throw for over 3,000 yards for the third consecutive season?

35. Can Texas A&M commitment Anthony Maddox help lead Oak Grove on a deep playoff run in Class 7A?

36. Will Gulfport look drastically different under new head coach Blake Pennock?

37. Are Starkville and Tupelo the top two teams in MHSAA Class 7A?

38. Will four-star athlete Noreel White emerge as a better wide receiver or defensive back for St. Martin?

39. How will four-star defensive lineman Reginald Vaugh adjust following his transfer from Madison St. Joe to Hartfield Academy?

40. Will Quitman's Akylin Dear become Mississippi's top running back in the Class of 2025?

41. Can Lake Cormorant have the No. 1 recruit in the state in back-to-back years with Kamarion Franklin and Jarcoby Hopson?

42. Hattiesburg went 7-0 in district games last season. Can the Tigers run through their district again in MHSAA Class 6A-Region 3?

43. Can Southern Miss commitment Reed Jesiolowski lead Hartfield Academy in rushing and receiving yards?

44. Will quarterback Wes White make the leap and help Northwest Rankin improve on its 4-7 record from last season?

45. Will there be multiple Clarion Ledger Appeal Dandy Dozen selections from any teams?

46. Can Louisville defend its state title without Keyarrion Jackson, Jaden Tripplett and Gabriel Moore?

47. What will MHSAA championship week look like with an additional title game?

48. Does Ole Miss or Mississippi State finish with more top 20 commitments?

49. Will there be repeat champions in the MHSAA or MAIS?

50. Who will finish No. 1 in the final Clarion Ledger Super 25 rankings for the 2023 season?

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi high school football: 50 questions before 2023 season