This Saturday marked the end of the spring practices for Josh Heupel’s Tennessee. The team played its Orange and White game at Neyland Stadium, which ended in a 10-10 tie. However, Tennessee’s standout veteran transfer, Chaz Coleman, didn’t suit up for the game. Given that Coleman is reportedly on a $3.5 million NIL deal and ‘not living up to his tag,’ head coach Josh Heupel addressed his current situation after the game.
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“Ultimately, Chaz is dealing with some things off the field, and he’s got to handle that and go through that process,” Heupel said, addressing the media. “We’re here to help and support him, and in all those ways, and we’ll continue to do that. But it is ultimately the beginning part of his journey right now, and some things that he’s got to work through.”
Tennessee made a big splash this year in the transfer portal, bringing in Penn State edge Chaz Coleman. He saw action in 150 defensive snaps in his true freshman season at Penn State and made it to ON3’s All-American freshman team. Because of that quality and his high school track record, Tennessee decided to hand him a $3.5 million NIL and revenue-sharing deal. But under the pressure to justify the million-dollar tag, Chaz isn’t handling being away from home well.
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“Knoxville is the furthest away from home he’s ever been, and he’s not handling it well,” Vols insider Tony Basilio said about Coleman’s issues. “I was told by a source close to the family that Coleman is a homebody who’s excellent once he locks in on something but sometimes takes a while to get locked in.”
Sophomore DE Chaz Coleman (transfer from Penn State) was not suited up for the Orange and White game. When asked about that situation, Coach Heupel said this: “We’re here to help and support him in all of those ways and we will continue to do that.” pic.twitter.com/lWDHcYrYCH
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At Penn State, Coleman wasn’t really too far away from his home in Warren, Ohio. He could have easily reached his home on weekends, since it’s only a 3-hour drive, unlike Knoxville, which is 523 miles away. Without parents’ and siblings’ support, it can be tough for a young athlete to cope with the pressure of playing college ball.
“Tennessee doesn’t want to kick him off the team for his recent hiccups but wants to figure out a way to accommodate him,” Basilio reported. “They’ve been in contact with family members, and it’s possible one of his siblings could join him soon in Knoxville.”
Chaz has a vibrant family with two brothers, Nysier and Asa, and two sisters, Aaliyah and Edenn, in addition to his parents. Understandably, it’s already difficult for a player to perform, and that, too, for a young athlete still finding his footing far away from home. Hopefully, with time, Coleman will settle in Rocky Top and finally put in those same high school performances that made him the top-200 overall prospect in the 2025 recruiting cycle.
The questions around Coleman’s future naturally lead to comparisons with Boo Carter, who was dismissed from the team.
How different is Chaz Coleman’s situation from Boo Carter’s?
As a highly-touted legacy recruit in the 2024 class (ranked the No. 3 athlete nationally), Boo Carter made an immediate impact by starting at defensive back and recording 38 tackles and a sack before his off-field issues arose.
“At the end of the day, there’s a standard that you gotta meet to be in that locker room,” Josh Heupel said, dismissing Carter. “So, he was not out on the field with us. That will be my last response to anything related to that for right now.” Carter started in the Syracuse game and made the starts till the Kentucky game in October. But reports revealed off-field indiscipline, and coaches benched Carter for the New Mexico game while keeping him on the sidelines.
Chaz Coleman’s situation, on the other hand, isn’t one of indiscipline but a natural element that every young player faces. Moreover, Basilio also added that Chaz’s is not a “Boo Carter situation,” and the Vols are willing to be patient in his case. With the offseason and fall camp ahead, Chaz can settle into Knoxville and deliver the performances the team brought him in to deliver.
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