Top 5 transfer portal landing spots for Penn State EDGE Chaz Coleman

Chaz Coleman, a four-star prospect from the 2025 class who flashed his incredible upside in limited opportunities as a freshman at Penn State, is headed to the transfer portal and immediately becomes one of the more coveted edge rushers on the market.

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound edge rusher is No. 2 overall on On3's ranking of players entering the portal, and there will be no shortage of suitors interested in him.

Coleman saw limited opportunities as a true freshman this fall, but he still managed some very encouraging moments while tallying eight tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and three quarterback hurries.

So where should he end up? Here are five potential landing spots ...

(The NCAA transfer portal window is Jan. 2-16, and players can't formally talk to schools/coaches until then, but many have already announced their intentions to transfer.)

Reminder: Chaz Coleman is just a true freshman.

📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/z775l7hhbE
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 1, 2025

Ohio State Buckeyes

As one of the most coveted players in the transfer portal, Coleman is expected to command a big NIL payday from his next school, and Ohio State is certainly capable of meeting his asking price and giving him a big spotlight to shine under.

Coleman is from Warren, Ohio, and there's already plenty of buzz that he will look to move closer to home with his transfer.

The Buckeyes tried to sway him away from his Penn State commitment last fall, but he held strong at the time. Now that he's a free agent, for lack of a better term, he may not be able to resist the call from his home-state school.

South Carolina Gamecocks

A big reason Coleman committed to Penn State in the first place was defensive line coach Deion Barnes, who is now the defensive ends coach at South Carolina.

When Coleman reacted on Twitter to Barnes joining the Gamecocks, it fired up the fan base with visions of Coleman and established star pass rusher Dylan Stewart forming a devastating duo off the edges.

🔥🔥 https://t.co/jboeQIpmK4
— Chaz Coleman (@chazcoleman_) December 23, 2025

Tennessee Volunteers

In the spirit of tracing personal connections to potential landing spots for Coleman, Tennessee has to be a consideration now that it has hired former Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.

Coleman spent the past year learning Knowles' defense and playing in it, and that familiarity might be compelling for a player who many expected was headed for a breakout sophomore season next year in Happy Valley.

Tennessee also has the NIL wherewithal that only so many programs will have to compete in Coleman's recruitment.

Kentucky Wildcats

Kentucky was a strong contender in Coleman's recruitment out of high school and one of the first Power Four programs to offer him. He took an official visit to Lexington last fall, shortly before his official visit to Penn State that swayed him to pick the Nittany Lions.

Granted, there's a new coaching staff at Kentucky now, but that could be a plus. Coleman already knows the campus and football facilities, and now there is fresh energy and optimism for the program under new head coach Will Stein and defensive coordinator Jay Bateman, who was hired away from Texas A&M, where he served in the same role the last two seasons.

Virginia Tech Hokies

Don't overlook James Franklin and the Hokies here.

Coleman's Penn State recruitment had a lot to do with his position coach Barnes, as noted, but Franklin helped close the deal and is a strong recruiter who flipped a bunch of Penn State commits to Virginia Tech upon taking the job there.

The Hokies promised Franklin a substantial increase in investment for the football program so he'd have the resources to build a national contender in Blacksburg. Using some of that to reel in a potential star edge rusher he's already coached would make a lot of sense.