Ohio State’s bid to land the transfer portal’s top edge rusher has fallen short.
Former Penn State defensive end Chaz Coleman, 247Sports’ No. 1-ranked edge rusher in the transfer portal for 2026 and Ohio State’s most high-profile transfer portal target this offseason, committed to Tennessee on Saturday.
BREAKING: Penn State transfer EDGE Chaz Coleman has committed to Tennessee, @Hayesfawcett3 reports
— On3 (@On3sports) January 10, 2026
Coleman is the No. 3 overall prospect in the transfer portal.https://t.co/nuuLvZwwEk pic.twitter.com/VL9Xzzsc3s
Ohio State was viewed as the initial frontrunner for Coleman, a native of Warren, Ohio, when he announced he would enter the transfer portal in December. The Buckeyes made their best efforts to land Coleman, hosting him for a campus visit on Tuesday. In the end, however, Coleman chose to follow former Penn State and Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to Tennessee over returning to his home state.
With Coleman off the board, Ohio State will have to look elsewhere for a transfer defensive end, which remains a need for the Buckeyes. Even if Kenyatta Jackson Jr. stays for his fifth-year senior season rather than entering the 2026 NFL draft, Ohio State wants to bring another veteran defensive end to pair with Jackson and replace Caden Curry, who exhausted his eligibility in 2025. Other candidates to play significant roles at defensive end for the Buckeyes in 2026 include sophomore Zion Grady, fifth-year senior Beau Atkinson (who transferred to OSU from North Carolina last year) and incoming freshman Khary Wilder, the No. 42 overall prospect in the 2026 class.
