Latest Chaz Coleman update is even more bad news for the former Nittany Lion

Following a promising freshman year at Penn State, Chaz Coleman was one of the most highly coveted transfers on the market this offseason. Ultimately, he followed former Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to Tennessee, but it’s been a turbulent offseason with the Volunteers. 

Coleman missed much of the spring due to off-field issues, which at times have been characterized as homesickness for the Warren, Ohio, product. Now, Pete Nakos of On3 is reporting that Coleman has yet to report to Knoxville for summer workouts and went so far as to say, “his status with the program moving forward is unclear.” 

That’s new information after Nakos previously reported that Coleman was not present for voluntary workouts on Wednesday, and included a statement from Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel: “Chaz has been dealing with some things, and we’re here to support him. We’ll continue to go through that process.” 

Penn State appears to have bet on the right young edge rushers

The severity of the “things” Coleman is “dealing with” isn’t known. If it is just homesickness, which is understandable for a college sophomore at his second school in as many years, that may not have happened if he were still in Happy Valley. If it is a more serious mental health issue or family situation, that may have been unavoidable. 

While the general public is more understanding of and empathetic about mental health than ever, there’s also more at stake than in previous eras with NIL and revenue-sharing deals. Heupel has shown his support publicly, but at some point, it can be argued that Coleman has a contractual obligation to show up and play for the Vols in 2026. If he doesn’t, it could cost him a lot of money. 

Again, mental health comes first above all of that, but the money at stake certainly adds a compounding variable to an already complicated situation. It also may have Penn State feeling like it bet on the right edge rushers this offseason. 

Before Coleman showed up in Happy Valley last summer and shot up the depth chart, fellow 2025 four-star EDGE Yvan Kemajou was all the buzz in spring workouts as an early enrollee. Now, he's impressed the new staff in Happy Valley heading into his sophomore season. Before that, Max Granville, who reclassified into the 2024 class and played a role on Penn State’s College Football Playoff team as a true freshman, was the rising star at defensive end. 

Coleman, even despite missing time in 2025, had usurped both Kemajou and Granville, who redshirted and missed the entire season with an injury. He surely would have been the most expensive to retain in an offseason when Matt Campbell was tasked with entirely rebuilding the roster in Happy Valley. Campbell and his staff bet on Kemajou and Granville, and, at least so far, that appears to have been the right decision. 

There are still major questions about how good defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn’s unit will be in the trenches. Much of that success will be determined by Kemajou and Granville. And if Coleman gets the “things” he’s “dealing with” straightened out and has a dominant year, he will loom large as a huge loss for the Nittany Lions. But as it stands after Nakos’s report, he may not even suit up for Tennessee this season. 

Of course, you wish the best for Coleman, however serious the off-field situation is. From a purely football perspective, though, it appears Penn State made the right decision this offseason.

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