‘A guy that can create havoc’ – The Tennessee Vols have a sleeping giant on their roster
The Tennessee Vols made one of the best transfer additions of the offseason.
The Tennessee Vols made a transfer portal addition that could be a bigger deal than anyone realizes.
Tennessee landed one of its top transfer targets last month in Penn State EDGE transfer Chaz Coleman.
Coleman was a highly sought after transfer player despite limited production as a true freshman in 2025 — eight tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble.
Those numbers don’t show Coleman’s true potential as a pass rusher.
New Vols defensive coordinator Jim Knowles says Chaz Coleman is a player who can create havoc
New Vols defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who coached Coleman at Penn State in 2025, met with reporters this week and wasn’t shy about praising the transfer EDGE.
“He’s explosive,” said Knowles of Coleman. “He is difficult to block. He has a little bit of an invisible cloak, where he can twist, turn, and beat guys one on one. He has great initial quickness off the ball. So he’s a guy that can create havoc for an offense and really creates some matchup issues.”
LEOs coach Andrew Jackson was also quick to compliment Coleman this week, telling reporters that he has “no fear”.
“Even though he was a young guy, he played the game with recklessness and a sixth sense that he had about him,” said Jackson. “The first thing that caught our eyes was him running to the ball — even though he didn’t know what to do. His hustle, his effort, him trying to play really strong and being fearless against kids that were older than him and bigger than him and stronger than him. He really had no fear.”
Tennessee lost EDGEs Joshua Joseph (NFL Draft), Caleb Herring (transfer to South Carolina), and Jordan Ross (transfer to LSU) this offseason. Coleman, as a result, will immediately jump into a featured role for the Volunteers.
We’ll see once the games start this fall whether Coleman is worthy of the hype. One thing, though, is for sure: his coaches sure seem to believe the hype.
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Jim Knowles was hired as the Tennessee Vols’ defensive coordinator earlier this offseason.
