LSU Country

Elite LSU Football Transfer Portal Target Reveals Commitment Decision to SEC Rival

Lane Kiffin and Co. hosted the coveted edge rusher last weekend, reveals commitment to an SEC foe on Saturday.
Zack Nagy|
Courtesy of Chaz Coleman on Instagram.

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Penn State Nittany Lions edge rusher Chaz Coleman has committed to Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers after navigating a rigorous recruitment process, he revealed on Saturday.

Once the portal market officially opened for business on Jan. 2, Kiffin and Co. wasted no time in getting their first official visitor down to Baton Rouge after Coleman arrived in the Bayou State last Friday.

The 6-foot-4, 245-pound true freshman signed with the Nittany Lions as a headliner in the 2025 Recruiting Cycle, but following a coaching change, Coleman opted to enter the portal where he then came in as the No. 1 EDGE available - and a Top-5 overall transfer.

The Ohio native was initially linked to the Ohio State Buckeyes once his name was in the market, but it was the LSU Tigers that received the first visit of his transfer process.

"The No. 2 player overall Chaz Coleman - from Penn State - an Ohio native. The Buckeyes were the first program mentioned and they're in strong talks with the Chaz Coleman camp early in this transfer portal cycle," Rivals Steve Wiltfong recently said.

"But sounds like it's LSU and Tennessee that are the programs emerging as the price tag continues going up for Chaz Coleman in the initial discussions for his signature."

Coleman arrived in Baton Rouge last Friday where he remained in town for a multi-day stay alongside Kiffin and the staff, sources told LSU Tigers On SI, but he then hit the road to Knoxville for a visit with the Tennessee Volunteers.

With visits to a pair of SEC programs under his belt, Coleman soaked in the scenes of LSU and Tennessee prior to taking a trip to see Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes.

In what became a three-team battle for the No. 1 EDGE in the Transfer Portal market, Tennessee put a full-court press on Coleman with the Southeastern Conference program landing his services.

LSU has inked multiple top defensive linemen to this point - including Auburn's Malik Blocton, Clemson's Stephiylan Green, and Tennessee's Jordan Ross.

Ross signed with the Volunteers as the program's headliner in the 2024 Recruiting Cycle where he checked in as the No. 9 overall prospect and No. 1 EDGE in America.

The 6-foot-5, 245-pounder played saw meaningful reps as a true freshman in 2024 after appearing in 11 games for the Volunteers - recording three tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss, a blocked punt and a touchdown.

After earning Freshman All-SEC honors, Ross took his game to the next level in 2025 as a true sophomore with the Volunteers.

Across the 2025 season, Ross upped the ante after suiting up in 11 games while tallying 23 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a pass defended.

More LSU News:

LSU Hosts No. 1 EDGE Transfer as Lane Kiffin Pushes For Ex-Penn State Defender

LSU Football Hosting Elite Florida Gators Transfer For Visit, Former Five-Star Recruit

Arkansas Razorbacks, Kentucky Wildcats Among Teams to Watch for LSU Football Transfer

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Zack Nagy
ZACK NAGY

Zack Nagy is the Managing Editor and Publisher of LSU Country, a Sports Illustrated Publication. Nagy has covered Tiger Football, Basketball, Baseball and Recruiting, looking to keep readers updated on anything and everything involving LSU athletics. 

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