Division II All-American Leonard Sherrod III Announces Commitment To Tennessee Tech

Multiple FCS programs have taken full advantage of the transfer portal, adding key players from the Division II level.

Wheeling defensive back Leonard Sherrod III announced his commitment to Tennessee Tech on Friday.

"Enough said #Committed," Sherrod posted on social media.

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound safety has spent three seasons with the Cardinals. He signed with the program in 2023, after graduating from Gateway Senior High School in Pittsburgh, PA. He saw action in three games as a true freshman before earning a bigger role in 2024, totaling 25 tackles, two interceptions, and six pass breakups.

Sherrod became a superstar this season, posting a true breakout season for the Cardinals, who finished 6-5 overall (5-3 MEC). He finished with a career-high 97 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, five interceptions, and 11 pass breakups.

Enough Said. #Committed pic.twitter.com/0Gmk7tpZjH
— Leonard Sherrod lll 3 ★ DB (@wr_assassin) December 26, 2025

Sherrod earned first-team All-MEC honors and was a Division II Don Hansen All-American honorable mention. He was only the third player in program history to earn All-American honors, joining Richard White III and Sy Alli IV. He led the MEC with eight total turnovers, forcing a fumble and recovering two others on top of a conference-high five interceptions.

The junior set a single-game record for total tackles against Walsh in Week 2, totaling 18 tackles in the loss. He also set the single-season interception record, which has stood since 2018. Sherrod broke the record on Nov. 8 against Glenville State.

Tennessee Tech is looking to build on the momentum from a historic 2025 season. The Golden Eagles finished 11-2 overall, winning 11 games for the first time in program history. The program also won its first outright conference title in 50 years.

Head coach Bobby Wilder was a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award, given to the best head coach at the FCS level each season. He was also named the Walter Camp Award FCS Coach of the Year. In two seasons, Wilder has won at least a share of the OVC-Big South title, compiling an 18-7 overall record.

The Golden Eagles ended their season in the first round of the FCS Playoffs, falling to North Dakota 31-6 on Nov. 29.

A big part of Tennessee Tech's success was finding talent in the transfer portal. The Golden Eagles signed a Top 5 FCS transfer portal class, including Sherrod's former teammate, wide receiver Tre' Holloway. Holloway finished the 2025 season with 37 receptions for 487 yards and three touchdowns.

Sherrod should be able to push for immediate playing time at safety next season. The Golden Eagles are set to lose All-American safety Tim Coutras to graduation, who is a multi-year starter at safety.

Barring any unexpected transfers, the Golden Eagles are set to return Omari Philyaw and former Kansas transfer Kaleb Purdy at safety. Sherrod's addition should only reinforce Tennessee Tech's secondary, which led the OVC-Big South in passing yards per attempt allowed this season (6.0).

Sherrod is expected to have two years of eligibility remaining for the Golden Eagles.

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