Tennessee Vols named as a school to watch for elite transfer player with a high ceiling
The Tennessee Vols have plenty of needs to address via the NCAA transfer portal.
The Tennessee Vols are one of the schools to watch for one of the most highly coveted defensive players in the NCAA transfer portal.
On3’s Pete Nakos noted on Friday that Ohio State is a school to “keep tabs on” for Penn State transfer EDGE Chaz Coleman, while also mentioning Tennessee as a school to watch for the talented defender.
“Ohio State continues to be the school to keep tabs on in Chaz Coleman’s transfer portal process, sources tell On3,” wrote Nakos. “Coleman is a Warren, Ohio native. He has three years of eligibility remaining and his raw talent makes him one of the top players entering the portal. Tennessee is another school to watch.”
Coleman, 6-foot-5/245 pounds, was rated by 247Sports as the No. 27 EDGE in the 2025 recruiting class. He totaled eight tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble as a true freshman for the Nittany Lions in 2025.
Chaz Coleman played for new Vols defensive coordinator Jim Knowles at Penn State in 2025
Recently hired Vols defensive coordinator Jim Knowles recruited Coleman to Ohio State during the 2024 season, but the talented EDGE signed with Penn State during the early signing period.
Coleman and Knowles, however, were reunited a little over a month later when Knowles left Ohio State to become the new defensive coordinator at Penn State.
Knowles was quickly impressed by Coleman at Penn State, even giving the Ohio native a tremendous nickname — the Chazmanian Devil.
“He’s crazy athletic, explosive,” said Knowles of Coleman in August. “For a freshman, he plays really hard. Like he plays to the echo of the whistle, chases the ball all over the place. I call him the Chazmanian Devil.”
Knowles continued to be impressed by Coleman after the start of the 2025 season.
“He’s jumped off the screen from the time I first got to be around him, and he’s made plays in games,” said Knowles in September. “He’s just a really disruptive guy. I think his progress is going to have to come against teams that are heavier in the run game and more talented in the run game. We’re going to have to see how he can hold up in that because I think he can pass rush against anybody. His development is going to have to come in against a team that really tries to run the ball.”
Landing Coleman over Ohio State won’t be easy. But Knowles’ previous connection to Coleman at least gives Tennessee a fighting chance.
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