‘He’s got to go to the practice field’ – The latest on Vols EDGE Chaz Coleman’s status at Tennessee ahead of spring football game
One of the Tennessee Vols’ biggest transfer additions this offseason was Penn State Nittany Lions transfer EDGE Chaz Coleman, who is expected to be a key pass rusher on Rocky Top this fall.
There’s been a lot of talk this week about Tennessee Vols transfer EDGE addition Chaz Coleman.
Coleman, a former four-star recruit, spent his true freshman season at Penn State before transferring to Tennessee in January to join new Vols defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who served as the Nittany Lions’ defensive coordinator last season.
The Ohio native put up modest numbers as a true freshman in 2025 — eight tackles and one sack — but he’s viewed as a high-upside player with early-round NFL Draft potential.
Coleman, however, has reportedly had an uneven spring. According to longtime Vols insider Tony Basilio, the former Penn State EDGE has had trouble being so far away from home.
“Knoxville is the furthest away from home he’s ever been, and he’s not handling it well,” wrote Basilio. “I was told by a source close to the family that Coleman is a homebody who’s excellent once he locks in on something but sometimes takes a while to get locked in.”
“Tennessee doesn’t want to kick him off the team for his recent hiccups but wants to figure out a way to accommodate him,” added Basilio. “They’ve been in contact with family members, and it’s possible one of his siblings could join him soon in Knoxville.”
Vols insider Brent Hubbs shares the latest on Chaz Coleman
VolQuest’s Brent Hubbs joined 104.5 The Zone’s Ramon and Will on Friday and addressed the Coleman situation.
Hubbs specifically noted that Coleman’s situation is not something he considers a “great distraction”.
“He’s got to go to the practice field,” said Hubbs. “He’s got to commit to it harder. He’s dealing with whatever personal things he’s dealing with. But at some point in time, Chaz Coleman has to make a commitment that he’s going to put in the work, and he’s going to grind seven days a week the way he needs to if he’s going to be a factor for this football team this fall. He’s not getting ready to get thrown off the team or anything like that.
“He’s had some health things. He’s had some things that have bothered him — even going back to the end of last season. Back in November, there were some things that he dealt with that kind of plagued him. But he’s got to work through and push through. And I think that’s the message that Chaz Coleman is getting.”
“I don’t find him to be a great distraction,” continued Hubbs. “I don’t think it’s one of these deals where he’s dividing this [team]. This is not a Boo Carter situation. And I know that’s where a lot of people want to go with this. But Boo Carter was one of the best 11 defensive talents on the field. Josh Heupel did not handle that situation very well at all in July and August last year. Chaz Coleman’s not practicing enough to even know if he (is one of the best 11)…. He’s got a ton of potential, but he does not have a body of work like Boo Carter had after his freshman year at Tennessee.
“So Chaz has got to earn his way. He’s got to earn his stripes and earn his way. But before any of that, if Chaz Coleman comes back, for anybody who assumes that he’s going to step into some major role as a starter just because he was a high profile transfer portal talent is mistaken. He’s got to go prove it. Whereas Boo Carter was was a lot more proven after his freshman year — you were expecting a big jump for him. But he had proven he could play at this level. And he had been effective at this level. And then [Carter] did his thing (missing team activities), and Josh Heupel allowed that to happen. This is not the same scenario in that regard. They’re not comparable, in my opinion.”
Every athlete goes through ups and downs at some point in their career — and that looks different for every athlete. Coleman may be earning big bucks — $3.5 million according to Basilio — but he’s still just 19 years old. He’s still finding his way like most 19 year olds. Coleman just happens to have hundreds of thousands of fans keeping a close eye on his journey, which is very much unlike most 19 year olds.
We’ll see how things progress this summer for the former Penn State EDGE. He clearly has to work through some things, but it’s not time for Vols fans to hit the panic button just yet.