Before the Transfer Portal opened, the Ohio State football program was the favorite to land Chaz Coleman. Coleman, a former five-star recruit and Ohio native, was expected to pick his home-state school. He chose Penn State out of high school, but the Buckeyes finished second.
The Ohio State Buckeyes hosted Coleman for a visit this past week after he visited several SEC schools. It wasn't a good sign that Coleman left Columbus without giving the Buckeyes a commitment. Yet, Ohio State still had hope that it could sign him.
Unfortunately for them, Coleman seemed set on getting the highest amount of money possible. Ohio State wasn't going to be cheap with him, but they apparently got outbid. Coleman has decided to sign with Tennessee and Jim Knowles instead of with the Buckeyes.
Jim Knowles steals Chaz Coleman from the Ohio State football team
Coleman played for Knowles at Penn State in his freshman season. The Buckeyes were heavily invested in his recruitment when Knowles was their DC, but they still thought Matt Patricia could convince him to play in Columbus. Instead, he will be a Volunteer.
This is the latest in a long list of strikeouts for the Buckeyes. They have done a terrible job in the portal so far, only bringing in a handful of players. Meanwhile, 25 players have left the program since the portal opened. It has been a disaster of an offseason so far for Ryan Day and his staff.
What makes matters worse for Ohio State is that they still don't have an offensive coordinator. The failure to hire someone once Brian Hartline left is probably part of the reason they haven't landed a premier offensive player. They only have one offensive player coming in from the portal so far.
Coleman seemed to use Ohio State as leverage. He was chasing a bag, despite having just one sack as a true freshman. Day only pays a ton of money for proven production, which Coleman does not have.