Arguably the most impactful addition for Tennessee this offseason is five-star edge rusher Chaz Coleman. He has multiple years of eligibility and has already demonstrated exceptional pass-rushing potential when he was at Penn State under Jim Knowles. With that said, Coleman has had some issues adjusting to Knoxville so far and has begun to miss practice. Coleman isn't missing practice to be a diva or an issue, but moving away from home has taken its toll on him, which is unfortunate.
Vols fans fired up as George MacIntyre and Faizon Brandon make big plays in spring film
Digging deeper, Knoxville News Sentinel reporter Adam Sparks spoke on Fox Sports Knoxville today and painted a dark picture for Tennessee regarding the situation with Coleman. To sum it up, Sparks said that if Tennessee loses Coleman, it's not only that they lose their best add of the portal, but they can't add a replacement.
Does Tennessee Football have problems with EDGE Chaz Coleman? @AdamSparks gives the latest on The Drive
— FOX Sports Knoxville (@FOXSportsKnox) April 8, 2026
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Losing Chaz Coleman would hurt in many ways
Losing Coleman would sting in more ways than one. Beyond the financial hit, Tennessee would be without an edge rusher, a position that’s arguably the most critical on defense. Not to mention, Tennessee cannot go out and find an edge in the spring portal, because there is none anymore.
Obviously, for Coleman's sake, you hope everything works out. I'm sure as a young man, it's tough being away from home for the first time. On the other hand, Tennessee has invested a lot in Coleman, and if he were to leave and not play, it would be a disaster. Tennesse lost edge rushers Caleb Herring and Jordan Ross to the portal this offseason, and they also lost out on other portal edges because of the commitment from Coleman. The domino effect, beyond missing an edge rusher, really makes it sting for Heupel and the staff.
The Vols already have questions about their pass rush, and if you throw this on top of it, things could get messy fast. One can only hope this gets fixed as soon as possible for everyone's sake, as a lot is riding on Coleman having a big year in the orange and white.