Tennessee football will be without one of its top projected edge rushers this season. On Friday, On3 reported that Penn State transfer Chaz Coleman and the Vols have parted ways. The report indicated that Coleman has been “medically disqualified” from the Vols’ roster for this upcoming season.
This makes the addition of Coleman through the transfer portal a major swing and miss for Josh Heupel and Tennessee. It wasn’t a secret that it took a pretty penny to land his talents, but now he won’t play a snap at UT.
Comments from insider Chris Low on the RTI Low-Down on May 31 shed some light on the exact financial implications, though. Different numbers have been thrown around for how much Coleman’s deal is worth and how much UT has paid, but Low clarified what he had heard.
“I think right around $2 million,” Low said. “I think he was going to go to Ohio State, and Tennessee upped the ante to get him to come. I think it’s much closer to two than it is to anything else.
“My understanding is they already paid him about maybe $200,000, between $200-250,000, is what they paid him. I think there was an adjustment after the issues in spring. The biggest chunk of his money will not come until later this year after the season, which is good for Tennessee that they’re able to get that. So, it’s not like they’ve wasted a million on him or given him most of his money to this point.”
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Tweaks were made to the NIL package after spring camp due to the absence of the edge rusher. He was not on campus for the back half of camp and missed the Orange and White Game. Then, he was late to summer workouts.
In his lone year in Happy Valley, Coleman produced eight tackles, three tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, a sack and a forced fumble. In nine appearances, he led all FBS freshmen in pass-rush grade last season at 90.3, according to PFF.
As a transfer, Coleman was considered the No. 17 player in the portal class and No. 3 edge rusher by 247. Out of high school, the site considered Coleman a four-star, the No. 27 edge rusher in the 2025 class and the No. 10 player out of Ohio. He is from Warren, Ohio, where he played for Harding High School.
Other pieces Tennessee will now rely on at the LEO position include Tulane transfer Jordan Norman, redshirt-freshman Christian Gass and a number of true freshmen, including Zach Groves, Hezekiah Harris and CJ Edwards.
