Summer football workouts have begun in Knoxville, and the question on everyone’s mind has been answered.
No, Chaz Coleman is not in attendance.
Multiple reports now from both On3 and the Knoxville New Sentinel state that Tennessee’s prized pass rusher out of the transfer portal missed the start of the voluntary workout period. This coming after he missed most of spring practice due to personal reasons.
Josh Heupel echoed his earlier comments on the situation today at the SEC spring meetings.
“Chaz has been dealing with some things, and we’re here to support him,” Heupel told reporters on Wednesday. “We’ll continue to go through that process.”
Coleman, a former 4-star prospect from Ohio, followed new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles from Penn State. Tennessee had a massive need at edge rusher following the losses of Joshua Josephs, Jordan Ross and Caleb Herring, and Coleman seemed like the perfect fit. However, things were off from the get-go, with reports of Coleman struggling to adapt to life in Knoxville. Rumors stated that he was homesick, along with dealing with vertigo.
The 5-star transfer reportedly signed with Tennessee for around $2 million, obviously a good chunk of the Vols’ NIL budget for the 2026 season. It was a developmental leap of faith for Heupel and Knowles, knowing Coleman played under 150 snaps last season for Penn State. As it turns out, the mental side of things have been the issue.
Positive reports, including Coleman attending church with Tennessee defensive line coach Rodney Garner, gave everyone some hope that things were turning around. Regardless, whatever happens from this point, it’s not a great look going forward. Coleman is a massive piece of Tennessee’s defensive puzzle and the Volunteers don’t have a lot of depth at the LEO spot.
Jordan Norman, a transfer from Tulane, would be the likely next man up. Beyond that is anyone’s guess when you start to try to piece together a rotation.
