Vodney Cleveland was expected to be part of the next wave at North Carolina. The four-star defensive lineman committed to Texas before signing with Bill Belichick’s Tar Heels. As a freshman, he has not played this season, and a September car crash has drawn attention to his status.
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WRAL’s Pat Welter and Brian Murphy reported on Thursday that Cleveland was involved in a one-car crash in mid-September, that the car struck a tree and caught fire, and that he is not currently participating in team activities.
“The 2026 BMW that Cleveland was driving struck a tree and, after coming to rest, caught on fire,” WRAL News reported, via the citation issued by the State Highway Patrol.
UNC confirmed the accident in a statement, saying it was aware of a one-car accident involving Cleveland on September 17 and that he is not participating in team activities. The school has not said whether the crash is related to his status.
Cleveland has been listed as out on every ACC availability report since the first one, which came ahead of UNC’s September 19 game against Clemson, two days after the crash. The school is only required to release those reports for conference games, and the Tar Heels play a nonconference game at UConn on Saturday. It is unclear whether his absence is related to injuries from the crash.
The 18-year-old was reportedly driving on State Road 1731 in Pittsboro, Chatham County, when the crash happened on September 17. According to WRAL News, the State troopers said witnesses reported that he passed another vehicle on a double yellow line, and skid marks at the scene were consistent with that account.
Troopers said the car was traveling well above the posted speed limit when it lost control on a curve, struck a tree, and caught fire. The citation does not check the injury or serious injury boxes, and the trooper’s report does not describe his condition.
The defensive lineman received citations for speeding, unsafe passing on a double yellow line, and failure to maintain lane control. Court records from October reportedly list him as responsible for all three charges ahead of his scheduled court hearing.
He has also faced other recent traffic citations. On September 14, three days before the crash, he was cited in Durham for driving 66 mph in a 45-mph zone. Before that, in February, he was also cited for driving 96 mph on I-40 East in Greensboro.
Cleveland first committed to Texas, but Belichick and North Carolina landed him. He is one of the Tar Heels’ top-rated recruits, a 6-foot-3, 310-pound lineman from Montgomery, Alabama. At Parker High School, he helped the team win a state title as a junior in 2024, when he recorded 50 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and seven sacks.
His senior year in 2025 was quieter. He finished with 37 tackles, 20 of them solo, and Parker went 8-4 before losing in the second round of the playoffs. He still earned a spot in the 2025 Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game and was named an Army Bowl All-Star.
Cleveland is due in Durham County District Court on November 6, and his return to the team is on hold until then.