Talented defender that has an elite nickname thanks to new Vols defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is entering the NCAA transfer portal
The Tennessee Vols are expected to add some defensive players to their roster via the NCAA transfer portal.
The Tennessee Vols will likely be active in the NCAA transfer portal when it opens on Jan. 2, particularly for defensive players.
Vols head coach Josh Heupel said Thursday on The Mike Keith Show that part of the reason he hired Jim Knowles as Tennessee’s new defensive coordinator is that he believes Knowles can “take advantage of the traits” of UT’s returning defensive personnel.
Still, the Vols are expected to add at least a few defensive players that fit Knowles’ vision.
One player who would make sense for Tennessee to add is Penn State true freshman EDGE Chaz Coleman, a former four-star recruit who plans to enter the transfer portal.
Coleman, 6-5, 245 pounds from Warren, OH, 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.
Jim Knowles recruited Chaz Coleman at Ohio State and coached him at Penn State
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 an elite 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.”
Tennessee makes sense for Coleman because of the connection to Knowles, but Ohio State will undoubtedly be a factor as well. Virginia Tech could also be in the mix since former Penn State head coach James Franklin is now the head coach there.
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