As newly-appointed defensive coordinator Jim Knowles begins to survey the landscape of players at Tennessee, a name that he is quite familiar with is reportedly expected to enter the transfer portal in the near future. According to a report from Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett, Penn State true freshman EDGE rusher Chaz Coleman is set to enter the portal when it opens up next month. He will have three years of eligibility left.
“After much thought and consideration, I have decided to enter the transfer portal this coming January to pursue other opportunities,” Coleman posted to X on Thursday. “I’d like thank James Franklin and his staff for believing in me and teaching me what it means to believe in myself.
Despite missing some time in November due to injury, Coleman still played in nine games with the Nittany Lions while racking up eight tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and one pass breakup. He didn’t start any games for Penn State last season, but was looked at as an impact player who was just getting the engine warmed up on his career.
Overall, the 6-foot-4 EDGE rusher earned a 78.5 grade from Pro Football Focus on the season, with an astounding 90.6 game grade in the Nittany Lions’ loss to Ohio State. Coleman led all freshmen EDGE rushers with a 90.6 pass rush grade last season, despite missing some time on the field.
In October, Coleman was named to On3’s 2025 Midseason True Freshman All-American Team. On3’s Charles Power tagged him as “one of the most dynamic true freshman pass rushers in college football” through that point in the season, and highlighted his athleticism and flexibility as key traits on the field.
“He shows outstanding first-step quickness and the ability to bend naturally around the edge, traits that have allowed him to make an early impact despite not enrolling until the summer,” Power wrote.
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Tennessee has produced some top-end EDGE rushers to the NFL lately, including Byron Young and James Pearce Jr., and current Vol Joshua Josephs could be the next on that list. Josephs’ departure to the NFL will open up an opportunity for Caleb Herring or Jordan Ross to potentially step into a starting role with the Vols in 2026, but perhaps Knowles makes a run at one of his former players at Penn State to join his unit in Knoxville.
Ohio State also appears to be a team that may try to go after Coleman in the portal, though. Coleman is originally from Ohio, and the Buckeyes reportedly made a late run at the former four-star prospect towards the end of his recruitment in the 2025 cycle.
Jim Knowles was hired at Tennessee last week as the Vols’ next defensive coordinator following the firing of Tim Banks. Knowles spent the 2025 season with Penn State, but was previously on the Ohio State staff for three years and helped orchestrate the Buckeyes’ national championship-winning defense in 2024.
