CBS Sports named each Top 25 college football team’s most important transfer for the 2026 season, and I don’t think they could’ve gone with a worse choice for the Tennessee Vols.

They named Penn State transfer EDGE Chaz Coleman as the Vols’ most important transfer addition.

“Tennessee might have the most obvious pick on the list,” wrote CBS Sports’ Chris Hummer. “The Vols are the only team uncertain whether or not their high-profile transfer will actually play in 2026. Coleman has been away from the Tennessee program for much of the offseason, dealing with what sources have described as a combination of a physical ailment, mental health strain and the pressure that comes with emerging as a highly paid, in-demand transfer. As of now, there’s no telling if Coleman will play for Tennessee this year. If he does, the Vols will have one of the highest-ceiling edge rushers in the Big Ten. If he doesn’t — a big chunk of Tennessee’s offseason spending will be sitting on the sideline.”

I can see why some think this would be an obvious choice for the Vols, but Coleman really shouldn’t have even been an option to be included.

Coleman hasn’t been around the team since early in spring practice. He hasn’t gone through any of the summer workouts with new strength coach Derek Owings. This isn’t a situation where he can just show up and be a contributor. Even if he decided today that he wants to play, there’s almost no chance he’d be ready to contribute this fall. Coleman hasn’t earned any trust from coaches or teammates, and he’s already months behind when it comes to conditioning and the workouts that Owings has put the team through.

“I don’t see him being a part (of the team),” said VolQuest’s Brent Hubbs on WNML’s SportsTalk on Tuesday. “I don’t think he’s a part (of the team) now. He hasn’t been a part. I don’t think there’s any reason to expect him to be a part of this team and be a factor this fall. Obviously, he’s dealing with whatever he’s dealing with. I think if you’re Tennessee, you want to be very mindful of whatever that is, and you want to handle everything the right way.

“The difference in this one and others in the past — such as Boo Carter — [is that] Chaz Coleman has never really been a part of the team. He was here — he got here in late January — and he basically went through four or five weeks of workouts. He was there some, I think, and then you start spring practice and then he quickly kind of disappears. And he hasn’t been back around. So he’s never been integrated into this team. It’s not like he’s been a part of this team for a year, and has been a contributor, and then all of a sudden is disappearing and coming back and disappearing. He’s just never been a part of team. So, I don’t think it’s ever been an issue with the team. I think this team has moved on, and I think this program is moving on. When does something become a finality? I don’t know. But nobody is talking about him even remotely being a part of things this fall.”

Coleman is a non factor, and it would take a miracle for that to change.

As for who the Vols’ most important transfer will be?

I’d probably go with Penn State defensive line transfer Xavier Gilliam. The Vols lost some key talent along the interior of their defensive line. Gilliam, who played for new Tennessee defensive coordinator Jim Knowles last season at Penn State, should be able to hit the ground running for the Vols this fall.

“Xavier Gilliam has flashed a lot,” said VolQuest’s Austin Price in April. “The name that’s been tossed around to me is Omarr Norman-Lott as far as how twitchy he is inside. He’s not an overly big defensive tackle, but as a guy that can play inside that is also quick enough to make the lives of interior offensive linemen really, really difficult. He’s had a nice start to his Tennessee first spring here in Knoxville.”