Penn State Losing Key Player of its Defensive Future

Defensive end Chaz Coleman will enter the transfer portal after one promising season with the Nittany Lions.

A general view of Beaver Stadium prior to the game between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Penn State Nittany Lions. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State defensive end Chaz Coleman, among the program's promising young players who earned the nickname "Chazmanian Devil," is leaving the Nittany Lions after one season. Coleman told On3's Hayes Fawcett that he plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal on Jan. 2.

"After much thought and consideration, I have decided to enter the transfer portal this coming January to pursue other opportunities," Coleman wrote in a social media post. "I’d like thank James Franklin and his staff for believing in me and teaching me what it means to believe in myself."

Coleman, who plaed in nine games for Penn State, has three years of eligibility remaining. He is the third Nittany Lion to signal intent to enter the portal, joining tight end Joey Schlaffer and cornerback Elliot Washington II.

On3 named Coleman a freshman midseason All-American after the defensive end made a quick impact for the Nittany Lions. Coleman turned his first sack into a forced fumble, which he returned for 39 yards against FIU. Coleman also made four tackles in that game, two for losses, and recovered a fumble against Ohio State.

During training camp, former Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles nicknamed Coleman the "Chazmanian Devil" for his determination on and off the field. Though he arrived at Penn State after spring practice, Coleman demonstrated other traits that got him onto the field quickly.

“He’s very mature for his age and he wants to learn,” Knowles said before the season. “He doesn’t like making mistakes and he’s smart, so he’s a guy that can help us.”

Chazmanian Devil 🌪️

True Freshman Midseason All-American#WeAre | @ChazColeman_ pic.twitter.com/8FbcUiyDHw

— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) October 29, 2025

Coleman was among Penn State's top defensive stories, considering his path to the program. He played defensive end basically for one season at Warren G. Harding High in Ohio, where he also played quarterback. Coleman's basketball skill helped him transition toward becoming a skilled edge rusher at Penn State.

“Up until those [football] offers started to come in, in my mind I thought he was like a 50-50 type kid, that he could end up going for basketball,” Keelyn Franklin, Harding's basketball coach, said in a preseason interview.

College coaches, including those from Ohio State, largely recruited him as a defensive prospect. Coleman (6-4, 250 pounds) didn't arrive at Penn State until after spring practice but quickly emerged as a promising defensive player.

"Chaz, he’s jumped off the screen from the time I first got to be around him," former Penn State coach James Franklin said in September. "Just a really disruptive guy."

Coleman missed three games late in the season with an injury and returned to play seven snaps against Rutgers in the regular-season finale. Coleman was part of the defensive end rotation through the season's first half, peaking with 28 snaps against UCLA.

Penn State had hoped to retain both Coleman and Yvan Kemajou, a pair of freshman defensive ends who were critical to the rotation at the position. Coleman will be a valued prospect in the portal, with Ohio State being a potential player in his recruiting.

A sideline view of Chaz Coleman’s forced fumble and return late in Penn State’s win over FIU pic.twitter.com/HgdtulSeVs

— Will Horstman (@WillHorstman_) September 6, 2025

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