4-star defensive lineman Vodney Cleveland returned to the Plains last weekend for his official visit with the Auburn football program. The former Alabama commit tested the waters with Auburn on a visit in early April, but returned for a more in-depth look at the program.
From Birmingham, Alabama, Cleveland is ranked as the No. 18 defensive lineman in the recruiting class of 2026 and is the No. 8 recruit out of his home state.
During his official visit, he spoke more with the Tigers' defensive coaching staff, including defensive line coach Vontrell King-Williams and defensive coordinator DJ Durkin. Cleveland said the visit was enough to move the Tigers up into his top-tier group of schools and he feels like there is a valuable opportunity for development and sucess on the Plains.
"He's a great coach, I love Coach Durkin," Cleveland said, per Auburn Rivals. "I feel like I fit great in his scheme with how he uses different fronts to help his guys succeed and make plays. He's definitely a big part of that.
"I was talking to Coach King, he was like If you go in somewhere else and they throw you in the fire, if they're depending on you to come and start as a freshman, that's not a good fit. Then, you won't get developed like you should and stuff like that. He was just saying I already have the talent. I can come here, he could coach me and develop me, and I could be unblockable."
Another draw to the Plains is Cleveland's former high school teammate Jourdin Crawford, who currently plays on the Tigers' defensive line and has been working to persuade Cleveland to join him at Auburn.
Cleveland hopes to make a final commitment decision by the end of June, but is planning to officially visit Miami, Texas, Georgia, and Florida before deciding.