- - 5-star edge rusher Chaz Coleman chooses Tennessee via transfer portal

Austin Curtright, USA TODAY NETWORKJanuary 10, 2026 at 10:11 PM

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Tennessee football has landed the crown jewel defensive player of the 2026 transfer portal class.

Five-star edge rusher Chaz Coleman committed to the Vols on Jan. 10, he acknowledged on social media. Coleman registered a sack, a forced fumble and eight total tackles in nine games as a true freshman at Penn State in 2025 and was the No. 5 overall player in the transfer portal rankings, per 247Sports.

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Coleman chose the Vols over Ohio State, LSU and South Carolina, among others.

Five of Tennessee's seven transfer portal additions this offseason have come on the defensive side as the unit undergoes massive changes ahead of the 2026 season. The Vols hired former Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles this offseason to run its defense, which ranked 91st in total defense in 2025.

Coleman was a four-star recruit in the 2025 class, tabbed as the No. 31 edge rusher and No. 9 player in Ohio, per 247Sports' Composite. He's the third former Penn State player to follow Knowles to Tennessee, along with four-star transfer portal defensive lineman Xavier Gilliam and three-star linebacker Amare Campbell.

Coleman led all freshmen in PFF's pass-rush grade (90.3) last season, despite his prowess only turning into one sack. Tennessee needed an elite pass rusher for 2026, and it appears to have gained one of the top available in the transfer portal.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 5-star edge rusher Chaz Coleman chooses Tennessee via transfer portal

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Source: “AOL Sports”