When Penn State made the call to fire James Franklin, everyone knew it was going to lead to some players leaving the program. However, one of the biggest worries for plenty of fans was that standout EDGE Chaz Coleman was going to look for a new place to call home.
Matt Campbell in a head-to-head battle with James Franklin for 4-star Michigan commit
That news just came in, with Coleman announcing on social media that he has played his last game for the Nittany Lions. Terry Smith took over as the interim head coach and Matt Campbell reportedly did all he could to keep Coleman in Happy Valley.
That's not going to happen, however, as the pass-rusher will be ready to continue his college career elsewhere. In his goodbye to Penn State, though, he made sure to bring up Franklin, but there wasn't a single mention of the program. This is how things have ended between the two sides?
After much thought and consideration, I have decided to enter the transfer portal this coming January to pursue other opportunities. I’d like thank James Franklin and his staff for believing in me and teaching me what it means to believe in myself. https://t.co/zdOJSMfQpY
— Chaz Coleman (@chazcoleman_) December 18, 2025
Matt Campbell reportedly did everything he could to keep Chaz Coleman at Penn State
When it was announced that Campbell was taking over as the new head coach, optimism arrived that Coleman was going to stay. According to Pete Nakos, Campbell made the player a top priority and the Nittany Lions were also ready to put their money where their mouth was.
Despite that, Coleman had his mind made up and he'll be officially entering the transfer portal when things open up in early January. Where could he possibly end up? Unfortunately, it hasn't taken long for Ohio State to be mentioned as a serious contender.
Rumors have been flying for a little while now that Ryan Day and the Buckeyes would be ready to welcome Coleman with open arms if he decided to transfer. With Thursday's breaking news coming in, the first domino has fallen for OSU fans hoping for that dream to become a reality.
This past season for Penn State, Coleman appeared in nine games, posting eight total tackles and one sack. Those stats don't even come close to describing what kind of a player he is. Come 2026, he's going to be ready to put on a show and chase opposing QBs like he was born to do. Unfortunately for the Penn State faithful, he won't be doing so for Campbell and Co.