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Former 4-star Alabama commit Vodney Cleveland announces his top 6 schools ft. Kirby Smart's Georgia
Four-star defensive lineman Vodney Cleveland has disclosed the final six schools he's considering for commitment, including Kirby Smart's Georgia. On3’s Hayes Fawcett broke the news of Cleveland's shortlist on Tuesday via a post on X. The other schools on the shortlist are Auburn, Florida, Texas, North Carolina and Miami.
Cleveland had pledged his commitment to the Alabama Crimson Tide in Oct. 2024. However, he backed off the commitment in December, leaving his recruitment race wide open. With his latest shortlist, the defensive line prospect has narrowed down his options, marking a further step toward his final commitment.
Weighing Vodney Cleveland’s final six options
Vodney Cleveland's recruitment has been active since the turn of the year. He paid a visit to Auburn in January and was at Florida twice in the space of three weeks. His return visit for Florida's second junior day event was inspired by his first visit. He detailed his impression of the program to GatorsOnline.
“Really just getting back down here to Gainesville - just spending time with Coach Billy Napier, Coach Gerald Chatman and Coach Jeremy Patterson, it's just a great feeling down here; family oriented," he said. "What really makes this place special is just the people around here. And it's just real family-oriented. Everything is real around here.”
Despite the recent momentum by Florida, the Auburn Tigers are not to be overlooked with a coach like Hugh Freeze at the helm. Freeze's Auburn landed six defenders within On3’s top 130 in their 2025 class, ranked No. 8 nationally.
Meanwhile, Kirby Smart's Georgia is a national powerhouse with a rare pull for talents. Two five-star defensive line talents in the 2025 class, Elijah Griffin and Isaiah Gibson, made up part of Georgia's second-straight top-two recruiting class. So, the chances are high that Vodney Cleveland may be heading to Athens for college.
Similarly, Steve Sarkisian's No. 1 Class of 2025 included two five-star defensive linemen, Justus Terry and Lance Jackson. Landing Cleveland will be a step further in the Longhorns’ return to dominance in college football.
While there has been a coaching change at North Carolina, the new head coach Bill Belichick has hit the ground running with his recruitments. Belichick’s NFL experience is a selling point, and it can be the factor that makes all the difference.
Vodney Cleveland measures 6-foot-3 in height and 305 pounds in weight. The On3 Industry Ranking puts him at No. 89 overall among prospects in the 2026 class, while he's No. 7 in his position.
He recorded 50 total tackles in his junior season with Parker High School in Birmingham, Alabama. He also helped the school to an Alabama 6A State championship.
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