The Texas Longhorns and head coach Steve Sarkisian just received huge news when four-star defensive lineman Vodney Cleveland committed to the Horns, choosing Texas over a few other powerhouse programs in the SEC.
Cleveland, who is an Alabama native, picked Texas instead of his home-state team, the Alabama Crimson Tide, as well as the Georgia Bulldogs, Florida Gators, Auburn Tigers, and more.
In total, Cleveland had an astonishing 22 Division I offers. Just over a week before his commitment, Cleveland wrapped up his quartet of official visits, ending with the Longhorns on June 13. His OV in Austin was the only time he visited Texas before committing.
BREAKING: Four-Star DL Vodney Cleveland has Committed to Texas, he tells me for @on3recruits
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 21, 2025
The 6’3 325 DL from Birmingham, AL chose the Longhorns over Florida, North Carolina, & Georgia
“HOOK EM
LLGMA❤️”https://t.co/ByZF7YRc8O pic.twitter.com/aG9fvux8ln
At 6-foot-3 and 305 pounds, Cleveland is already approaching the size of a collegiate defensive lineman, and the young prospect still has a season of high school football remaining.
Over his first two years of varsity football, Cleveland amassed 69 total tackles (45 solo), 8.5 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks. So far, he has played in just 22 games at the varsity level.
According to On3, Cleveland was the No. 11 defensive lineman in the class of 2026 and the No. 8 overall athlete out of Alabama in the class.
In the class of 2026, Cleveland added to Sarkisian's rapidly improving recruiting class, which is currently ranked No. 12 in the nation and No. 5 in the SEC. The Horns are coming off a year of bringing in the No. 1 recruiting class in the country, outpacing the defending National Champions, the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Also read: Recent 4-star Texas commit hops on recruiting train for the Longhorns
Cleveland became the seventh four-star prospect to commit to Texas from the class. Quarterback prospect Dia Bell is the only five-star recruit in the class at the moment.