This offseason, Josh Heupel made the decision to fire his defensive coordinator Tim Banks after a shaky season. Heupel quickly hired former Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles which was a risky decision after he was a one and done at Penn State while Ohio State’s defense looked better without him.
Jim Knowles was given a chance to make himself an early fan favorite in Knoxville if he nailed the Transfer Portal. After losing James Pearce Jr in the NFL Draft last offseason, and Jordan Ross to the Transfer Portal this offseason, Jim Knowles and the Tennessee defensive staff needed to make a splash at edge rusher.
Jim Knowles reels in former Penn State star Chaz Coleman
On Saturday, Tennessee reeled in it's biggest commitment of the offseason as former Penn State edge rusher Chaz Coleman committed to Tennessee giving the Vols a major win.
BREAKING: Penn State transfer EDGE Chaz Coleman has committed to Tennessee, @Hayesfawcett3 reports🍊
— On3 (@On3sports) January 10, 2026
Coleman is the No. 3 overall prospect in the transfer portal.https://t.co/nuuLvZwwEk pic.twitter.com/VL9Xzzsc3s
Chaz Coleman was highly sought after, drawing interest from Ohio State and LSU, but in the end it's Tennessee who wins out for the elite edge rusher thanks to Jim Knowles ties to him during their year together at Penn State.
Chaz Coleman was the top defensive player in the transfer portal, ranking as the top edge rusher in the Saturday Blitz Transfer Portal Rankings.
This season, Chaz Coleman was a true freshman, and it was a mistake that Penn State didn't play him more as he recorded 6 tackles and a sack in limited playing time. While Coleman didn't have elite stat production, he was a monster with 15 QB pressures in 70 pass rushing snaps.
Landing at Tennessee gives Chaz Coleman a chance to continue developing in Jim Knowles' defense while getting to play against SEC competition. The Volunteers now have an elite pass rusher, which should help change the defense after it struggled in big games this season.