Auburn is looking to boost its 2026 recruiting haul by pursuing a talented in-state defensive lineman.
[autotag]Vodney Cleveland[/autotag], a 6-3, 295-pound defensive lineman from Prattville, has caught the eyes of several SEC programs, including Auburn. Cleveland has visited Auburn three times, and Auburn coaches stopped by his high school last month.
Auburn is one of four SEC programs that are at the front of the pack when it comes to the recruitment of Cleveland, joining Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee. Auburn is currently the frontrunner to land Cleveland according to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine, which gives the Tigers a 49.3% chance to earn his commitment.
Cleveland tells Chad Simmons of On3 that Auburn “feels like home,” and that he likes what he sees from the program so far.
“What they have going on there is that they’re trying to build the program,” Cleveland said in an interview with On3.
Cleveland recently competed in the Under Armour combine in Carrollton, Georgia. There, he impressed 247Sports’ Rian Young, who included him in his “standout trench performers” of the combine.
Vodney Cleveland is a player in the trenches that I was glad to see in person. This 6-foot-3, 295-pound stud from Prattville High School in Alabama that college coaches need to go ahead and pay attention to. He caught my attention when they were doing the 40-yard dash and running drills. This young man can really move. He was also dominant in the 1v1 session. There are not a lot of offensive linemen that are going to be able to keep this dude in front of them. He is a beast that knows how to use his hands and athletic ability to be unstoppable in the trenches.
Due to his age, he has not received a rating from major recruiting services. Outside of Auburn, Cleveland has received offers from programs such as Miami, Ole Miss, Georgia Tech, and UCF.
Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__