A four-year NC State defensive tackle who developed into a run-stuffing starter before Las Vegas drafted him in the seventh round.
Brandon Cleveland spent his entire college career at NC State, growing from a backup into a productive starting defensive tackle before the Raiders selected him in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft. The Tampa, Florida native projects as a run-defense piece for a Las Vegas front shifting toward a base 3-4 scheme.
Path to the league
A four-star recruit out of Carrollwood Day School in Tampa who originally committed to Miami before signing with NC State, Cleveland played all four seasons for the Wolfpack from 2022 to 2025, appearing in 45 games with 26 starts. The Raiders selected him with the No. 229 overall pick in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
Cleveland finished his NC State career with 107 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, six sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery, growing from a backup his first two seasons into a full-time starter by his junior year. He earned an invite to the 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl following his college career. He is cousins with former NFL receiver Tyrie Cleveland.
2025 season recap
In his senior season at NC State, Cleveland started 12 of 13 games and posted career highs with seven tackles for loss and 36 total tackles, along with two sacks, capping his college career before entering the draft.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Brandon Cleveland
- Raiders.com: Brandon Cleveland
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Defensive Tackle
- Group
- defense
- College
- NC State
- Hometown
- Tampa, FL, USA
- Age
- 21
- Status
- active
