Fans were frustrated early in the transfer portal window when it seemed like the Ohio State football program was constantly striking out. They were in battles for several former five-star recruits. Instead of landing them, the Buckeyes pivoted and decided to use their NIL money elsewhere.
One of the big transfers that the Ohio State Buckeyes were pursuing was Chaz Coleman. Coleman is a Warren, Ohio native who chose to play for Penn State out of high school. He picked the Nittany Lions to play for Jim Knowles, who had just left the Buckeyes.
Once James Franklin was fired and Knowles was not retained, Ohio State was the favorite to land Coleman. Instead, Coleman followed Knowles to Tennessee, and that's where he is playing. It seems the Bucekyes dodged a bullet, because things are not going well early in Knoxville.
The Ohio State football team dodges a bullet not landing Chaz Coleman
Coleman seems to be having a bad time in Knoxville. Reports out of there claim he has not been doing well, despite playing for the same defensive coordinator he did a year ago. He even posted something vague on social media, indicating that things are going poorly.
— Chaz Coleman (@chazcoleman_) April 2, 2026
It's unclear what's going on, but it looks like Ohio State dodged a bullet. Instead of bringing Coleman in, they pivoted to Qua Russaw, James Smith, and John Walker as guys to come in to help the defensive line. All of them have been earning rave reviews in spring practice thus far.
Coleman's raw talent is evident. There is a reason he was listed as the seventh-best player in the Transfer Portal by 247Sports. He is someone who has speed and strength, but hasn't put it together for some reason. He still has plenty of time to do that when the Fall rolls around.
Ohio State fans have questioned Ryan Day's personnel decisions in the portal for the last few years. Some of those decisions have been warranted. The Ethan Onianwa disaster comes to mind. By and large, though, Day has done a good job of identifying the right kind of talent for his roster.
Tennessee flat-out stunk last season. There's a chance that Ohio State stomping them in the College Football Playoff may have broken the team. While they are toiling away, the Buckeyes are gearing up for another run to the College Football Playoff and a potential national title.