There may not be a more dominant player in the NCAA transfer portal than five-star true freshman pass rusher Chaz Coleman, who decided to leave Penn State following the firing of head coach James Franklin.
On Saturday, Coleman announced where he’ll play next season. Despite new Penn State head coach Matt Campbell making Coleman a priority to bring back to Happy Valley, he committed to the Tennessee Volunteers—a major addition for head coach Josh Heupel.
Coleman will effectively replace Tennessee transfer Jordan Ross, who left for LSU. Notably, Coleman was ranked 13 spots ahead of Ross in the portal.
“The biggest reason I pick Tennessee was, I felt like it was a good fit,” Coleman told Volquest. “ obviously I liked the familiarity with everything and knowing Jim Knowles. I felt like the family part of this in the support that the coaches bring was really impressive and then being able to come with a few other guys that I know and finish the job was a big deal.”
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Coleman chose Tennessee over several other top programs, including Ohio State, which he visited after leaving Knoxville. Being a native of Ohio, many had expected him to land with the Buckeyes.
“Me being able to know the system, I will be able to help the team even more because if they have any questions, they can come to me and ask, and I can help them get to an understanding of how the scheme works,” Coleman said. “I’m just ready to get down there and get to work.”
Former Penn State defensive coordinator and now Tennessee DC Jim Knowles spoke very highly of Chaz Coleman ahead of the 2025 season.
Coleman) is crazy athletic and explosive. For a freshman, he plays really hard, he plays to the echo of the whistle. He chases the ball all over the place,” Knowles said on Aug. 12. “I call him the Chazmanian Devil.”
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