D1Baseball ranks NC State’s Sherman Johnson as the #48 3B Heading Into 2026

D1Baseball has released its 2026 Preseason Third Basemen Rankings, and Sherman Johnson checks in at No. 48 nationally.

That ranking places Johnson 10th among ACC third basemen heading into the 2026 season.

ACC 3B Preseason Rankings

1) Daniel Cuvet, Miami
7) Dalton Wentz, Wake Forest
15) Cal Fisher, Florida State
28) Ryan Zuckerman, Georgia Tech
31) Cade Campbell, California
35) Owen Petrich, Virginia Tech
36) Ty Mainolfi, Boston College
45) Kai Wagner, Pittsburgh
47) Cooper Nicholson, North Carolina
48) Sherman Johnson, NC State

Johnson, listed at 6-foot-2, 196 pounds, transferred to NC State Wolfpack this offseason from McLennan Community College, where he was a major reason the Highlanders reached the Junior College World Series.

Not only did Johnson help lead McLennan on a deep postseason run, he was named the Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the tournament and earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team.

At the plate, Johnson was a complete player who filled the stat sheet in every way imaginable.

2025 Stats at McLennan CC

Batting Average: .319
On-Base Percentage: .425
Slugging Percentage: .569
OPS: .994
Hits: 69
RBI: 51
BB: 35
2B:21
3B: 3
HR: 9
XBH: 33
R: 64
SB: 21

Power. Speed. Patience.

That combination made Johnson one of the most coveted JUCO players in the country. Perfect Game ranked him as the No. 6 Junior College prospect in the 2025 class.

Originally, Johnson committed to Arkansas, but ultimately flipped his commitment to NC State – a significant win for the Wolfpack out of the JUCO ranks.

Before his breakout season at McLennan, Johnson played his first collegiate season at Dallas Baptist, where he appeared in just two games before being granted a medical redshirt. That redshirt gives him three years of eligibility remaining (despite being listed as a Junior on GoPack).

Either way, NC State is adding a battle-tested, toolsy infielder with postseason experience and production across the board – and now, a preseason ranking to match.