Ohio State is ‘willing to do what it takes’ to land a top transfer target over the Tennessee Vols
The Tennessee Vols are facing some fierce competition for one of the top transfer EDGE defenders in the portal.
Tennessee Vols fans received some positive transfer portal news on Sunday evening when it was revealed that Penn State Nittany Lions transfer EDGE Chaz Coleman had decided to take his visit to UT following a trip to see to the LSU Tigers.
There had been some concern that Coleman may not make the trip to Knoxville after he posted a photo of himself on social media decked out in LSU gear alongside Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin.
Coleman, who has three seasons of eligibility remaining, played under new Vols defensive coordinator Jim Knowles at Penn State in 2025.
The connection to Knowles combined with the fact LSU let Coleman leave Baton Rouge without committing has Vols fans feeling good about the possibility of landing the talented EDGE.
Ohio State, however, is also trying to land Coleman. Notably, Coleman was set to take an official visit to Ohio State just days before signing with Penn State in late 2024, but the Nittany Lions talked him out of making the trip.
Ohio State is reportedly willing to do whatever it takes to land Chaz Coleman
If Tennessee is going to land Coleman, then they probably can’t afford to let him leave Knoxville on Tuesday without committing.
That’s because Coleman is slated to visit Ohio State after his visit with Tennessee wraps up. And the Buckeyes are reportedly going to make a strong push for the coveted EDGE.
“Ohio State is expecting Coleman on campus at some point on Tuesday, sources tell On3,” reported On3’s Pete Nakos and Steve Wiltfong on Monday. “The Buckeyes are willing to do what it takes to land the top pass rusher.”
Wiltfong also noted on Monday that Tennessee and LSU are “pushing the hardest from a NIL perspective”, so this is a transfer battle that could end up getting pricey for whoever comes out on top.
“He’s at Tennessee right now,” said Nakos of Coleman on On3’s YouTube channel on Monday. “Ohio State’s expecting him tomorrow. That price tag is well over the $1 million mark at this point.”
“Yeah, I heard it’s climbed about $500,000 since the portal opened,” added Wiltfong of the price point for Coleman.
The Vols are hoping that Coleman’s connection to Knowles can help them win this battle. Tennessee, however, may need to be willing to go over budget to land Coleman.
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