Friday opened up the Transfer Portal in college football beginning a 14 day period of chaos as star players move from program to program. If there's anything positive that comes out of Ohio State losing in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals it's the fact that their loss at least came before the Transfer Portal opened allowing Ryan Day to focus on adding via the Transfer Portal.
When players started to announce their intentions to transfer, Ohio State fans started to build a wish list of potential future Buckeyes. Topping almost every list was Warren, Ohio native and star Penn State freshman Chaz Coleman. Given all the pieces of this defense that could depart for the NFL Draft, Ohio State seemed like the perfect fit.
LSU and Tennessee appear to be blocking Ohio State from Chaz Coleman
While Ohio State seemed to be in a perfect place to add Chaz Coleman it was never going to be easy for the top ranked edge rusher in the Transfer Portal. Instead of Ohio State controlling this race, according to On3's Steve Wiltfong, it's former Ohio State DC Jim Knowles and LSU who are emerging in what's shaping up to be a bidding war.
"Sounds like it's LSU and Tennessee emerging...as the price tag continues to go up"@SWiltfong_ early intel on elite EDGE transfer Chaz Coleman who's leaving Penn State 👀
— Josh Newberg (@josh_newberg) January 2, 2026
MORE: https://t.co/3CmhhbMnTu pic.twitter.com/YI67inlZuj
In limited playing time as a true freshman, Chaz Coleman recorded 8 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble as a true freshman. Coleman finished the year with an incredible 90.3 PFF Pass Rush Grade with 15 pressures in 70 pass rush snaps.
Saturday Blitz Transfer Portal Edge Rusher rankings
Ryan Day and Ohio State have to do whatever it takes to go out and land the Ohio Native as a centerpiece of this defense. Arvell Reese and several other edge defenders could be departing and given that Chaz Coleman just finished his freshman season, he could be a multi-year solution for the Buckeyes.
The Buckeyes will return a ton of high-end talent next season with Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin back in the fold. This program can't afford to not be fully loaded next season as a window will close once Sayin and Smith are off to the NFL meaning this could be the best chance in the next several years to win it all.