Bill Belichick, North Carolina swipe 4-star DL from Texas in Signing Day flip
By David Wasson
Published:
North Carolina might have posted a sub-standard on-field result in 2025 under first-year coach Bill Belichick, but the NFL coaching legend was doing some work during Wednesday’s Early Signing Period – landing 4-star defensive lineman Vodney Cleveland (Birmingham, Ala./Parker HS) in a signing-day flip from Texas.
The 6-foot-3, 305-pound Cleveland committed to Texas in June 2025, but dramatically changed that Wednesday to instead sign to go to Chapel Hill. He had taken an unofficial visit to North Carolina on Oct. 25.
Cleveland played 3 seasons for the Parker Thundering Herd, including his 2024 junior season that saw him pile up 35 solo tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. Parker went 8-4 in 2025 and lost in the second round of the Alabama state playoffs but went 14-1 and won the Class 6A state crown in 2024.
Cleveland is the 28th-best defensive lineman and 11th best player in Alabama according to the 247Sports Composite. His signing now has the Tar Heels ranked No. 17 nationally with an eye-popping 41 commitments that include 13 4-star pledges.
North Carolina finished a disappointing 4-8 in Belechick’s first season at the helm after his illustrious 29-year NFL coaching career with the Cleveland Browns and the New England Patriots that saw him win 6 Super Bowls.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
