Tennessee lands elite pass rusher out of the transfer portal
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Tennessee received a big boost to its pass rush from the portal as it added former Penn State edge Chaz Coleman to its transfer class. On3’s Hayes Fawcett reported the news on Saturday afternoon.
Coleman was considered a four-star player in the 2025 high school recruiting class. As a true freshman, he had a promising start to his college career at Penn State. He recorded 1.0 sacks and 3.0 tackles for a loss, adding a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.
He was one of a host of players who entered the transfer portal after Matt Campbell was named James Franklin’s replacement in Happy Valley. After visits to Ohio State, LSU, and Tennessee, including an in-home visit with the Volunteers, Coleman made the call for the Vols.
Tennessee is banking on Coleman to build on the momentum of a freshman campaign that saw him demonstrate flashes of the player he could eventually become. They’re also hoping that he can help a defense that recorded 37 sacks in 2025, the 15th-highest total in the country and fourth-most in the SEC.
Coleman is the seventh player in the cycle to make a transfer commitment to the Volunteers. He joins former Penn State teammate Xavier Gilliam.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
