Four-star DT Vodney Cleveland flips from Texas to North Carolina

Maintaining the commitments of multiple out-of-state defensive tackles was never going to be easy for the Texas Longhorns, so it was disappointing but not surprising when position coach Kenny Baker unable able to secure the signature of Birmingham (Ala.) Parker standout Vodney Cleveland on Wednesday as the North Carolina Tar Heels pulled off a major recruiting coup in flipping the 6’3, 305-pounder.

Cleveland committed to Texas in June after taking an official visit to the Forty Acres in addition to trips to Auburn, Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina. The Tar Heels maintained their pressure on Cleveland, landing two visits during the season that were ultimately enough to convince him to flip.

During his recruitment, Cleveland held offers from close to 40 different programs across the country, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and USC, among others.

Before pledging to the Horns, Cleveland committed to the home-state Crimson Tide late last October before reopening his recruitment in the middle of December.

Baker had been in pursuit of the Alabama product since extending an offer in April of 2024 with Cleveland becoming the third high-level defensive tackle prospect Baker and Texas landed in June, significant steps in securing the longterm future of the position after relying on transfer portal additions the last two offseasons.

A consensus four-star prospect, Cleveland is ranked as the No. 243 player nationally and the No. 28 defensive lineman, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

Texas was able to sign Miami (Fla.) Northwestern defensive tackle James Johnson on Wednesday, but when Cleveland flipped, Petal (Miss.) Corey Wells had still not decided between Texas and Auburn and the Horns had already suffered a defection in November when Monroe (La.) Ouchita Parish product decommitted.