The Tennessee Volunteers continue to manage one of the most unusual offseason storylines in the SEC this year. Chaz Coleman, the Penn State Nittany Lions transfer expected to help reshape the Volunteers’ edge rush, has not reported to Knoxville for voluntary summer workouts.
That absence followed a stretch in which he missed much of spring practice and Tennessee’s spring game.
At the SEC spring meetings on Wednesday, Josh Heupel gave a public update.
“Chaz has been dealing with some things, and we’re here to support him,” he revealed to On3. “We’ll continue to go through that process.”
Tennessee’s Edge Rush Picture Looks Thinner Without Coleman
GettyChaz Coleman runs with the ball after a strip sack fumble.
Coleman was not brought in as a depth piece. Tennessee made him one of its premier portal investments. 247Sports ranked him as the No. 17 overall transfer and the No. 3 edge rusher in the cycle.
As a freshman at Penn State, he played 150 defensive snaps, posted eight tackles, three tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble. He also produced 15 pressures and earned a 90.3 pass-rush grade from Pro Football Focus. That explains why Tennessee targeted him so aggressively after hiring Jim Knowles as defensive coordinator.
Tennessee does not have the luxury of surplus talent at the position. The Vols must replace their top six pass rushers from last season and Coleman was supposed to give the defense an immediate answer.
Without him, the depth chart leans on redshirt freshman Christian Gass, freshman Kedric Golston II and Tulane Green Wave transfer Jordan Norman, who could also play defensive end. That is a real shift in how Tennessee has to structure its pressure packages before preseason camp opens.
The bigger concern is the timing. Voluntary workouts began Monday and Tennessee has already spent the spring trying to get him settled.
Heupel on Other Pieces of the Roster Besides Chaz Coleman
GettyQuarterback George MacIntyre #15 of the Tennessee Volunteers runs with the ball during the Tennessee Orange & White Spring Game.
Heupel’s Coleman update came in the middle of a broader assessment of the roster. He spoke positively about the growth of quarterbacks George MacIntyre and Faizon Brandon, the two front-runners for the starting role.
On3 reported that Heupel said of Brandon, “He’s had a great offseason. He’s been developing.” In the same session, Heupel said MacIntyre has continued to build after a year in the system. He served as the backup behind Joey Aguilar last season.
Tennessee finished spring with Brandon, MacIntyre and Ryan Staub all involved in the competition and Heupel said all three showed progress during spring work. The Volunteers have spent the offseason trying to identify reliable pieces on both sides of the ball.
Coleman remains one of the most important unknowns, while Brandon’s rise suggests Tennessee still has some momentum in other parts of the roster.
For now, Tennessee has not offered a timetable for Coleman’s return. Heupel has made clear the program is approaching the situation as a support issue first and a football issue second. That keeps the door open, but it also leaves the Vols waiting on a player they expected to anchor the edge. As summer work continues, Tennessee’s defense will move forward with contingency plans until Coleman is ready to join it.
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