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Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel walks on the sidelines in the third quarter as the Volunteers play Ohio State in the first round of the 2024 College Football Playoffs at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday, December 21, 2024. Ohio State was ahead 35-10 at the end of the third quarter. PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxONLY COL20241221336 AARONxJOSEFCZYK
Imago
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel walks on the sidelines in the third quarter as the Volunteers play Ohio State in the first round of the 2024 College Football Playoffs at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday, December 21, 2024. Ohio State was ahead 35-10 at the end of the third quarter. PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxONLY COL20241221336 AARONxJOSEFCZYK
Former Penn State 5-star edge rusher Chaz Coleman arrived as the crown jewel of Tennessee’s transfer class. But right now, he hit an unexpected wall off the field as homesickness crept in. The situation forced Josh Heupel into a balancing act he didn’t plan for this spring.
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Chaz Coleman has been missing practice, and his absence apparently stems from homesickness, not a bad attitude. Moving from Warren, Ohio, has been a tough transition for the 19-year-old. While his reported $3.5 million NIL deal brings massive expectations, he is ultimately just a homebody struggling to live in the South.
Even with this lingering issue, Tennessee made its stance clear, saying it has no interest in cutting ties, as insider Tony Basilio reported.
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“Knoxville is the furthest away from home he’s ever been, and he’s not handling it well,” he wrote. “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.”
TRENDING: Tennessee star pass rusher Chaz Coleman is having some off field issues early in his time in Knoxville. Despite this, the Vols “do not want to kick him off the team,” per a report by Tony Basilio. Coleman is being paid $3.5 million this season by the Volunteers.… pic.twitter.com/kle4BnCs8G
— Recruits CFB (@recruits_cfb) April 9, 2026
Tennessee is actively trying to make this work, even floating the possibility of bringing a sibling to Knoxville to help Chaz Coleman settle in.
“Tennessee doesn’t want to kick him off the team for his recent hiccups but wants to figure out a way to accommodate him,” he added. “They’ve been in contact with family members, and it’s possible one of his siblings could join him soon in Knoxville.”
Tennessee’s patience makes sense given Coleman’s ceiling. Ranked as the portal’s top edge rusher, he flashed brilliance as a true freshman at Penn State with three sacks. New defensive coordinator Jim Knowles brought Chaz Coleman with him to Knoxville, knowing exactly how disruptive he can be.
“He’s explosive,” he said earlier this offseason. “He is difficult to block; he has a little bit of an invisible cloak, where he can twist, turn, and beat guys one-on-one. He has great initial quickness off the ball. So he’s a guy that can create havoc for an offense and really creates some matchup issues.”
Chaz Coleman may have a lot to offer once he’s locked in, but at the same time, there’s a big tension in this story. Tennessee not only wants him, but they need him. So now the question is, why can’t the Vols afford to lose him?
The domino effect Josh Heupel can’t escape
Josh Heupel is in a tight situation here. Losing Chaz Coleman would mean losing the best portal addition. But again, it would also mean losing the plan. As analyst Adam Sparks pointed out in a radio appearance, Tennessee isn’t rich in elite edge rushers. They already watched edge depth take a hit this offseason, including Caleb Herring and Jordan Ross. They passed up on other portal options because their 5-star addition was supposed to be the answer.
So if Chaz Coleman walks, or simply never gets right, Tennessee doesn’t have a fallback. That’s the domino effect. You lose more than just the player, but the opportunity cost that came with betting on him. As Tony Basilio noted, this situation lacks the drama of a typical locker-room controversy. There are no headline-grabbing issues or bad blood here. It’s simply a young athlete managing the heavy mental toll of moving far from home.
This is homesickness, adjustment, and pressure for a young player moving farther from home than they ever have and carrying a $3.5 million expectation before a single snap in orange and white. But college sports don’t slow down for anyone to adjust, and that’s the tension Josh Heupel is living in right now. For now, Chaz Coleman is still in Knoxville with his school, standing firm with their public support and private adjustments. But the clock is ticking because, for all the empathy, this is still SEC football. Hopefully, he’ll get better and become the difference-maker Tennessee paid him to be.
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Himanga Mahanta