Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1529598
5 6 D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State hosted one official visi- tor for its White Out victory over Washington on Nov. 9. The follow- ing night, that visitor committed to the Nittany Lions. Defensive end Chaz Coleman of Warren, Ohio, announced via so- cial media Nov. 10 that he had joined PSU's 2025 recruiting class. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder is a three- star prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking, which averages the ratings of the four major recruiting web- sites. However, On3's scouts are much higher on him, giving him a four-star rating and listing him as the No. 191 overall prospect and No. 19 edge rusher nationally, as well as the No. 8 player in Ohio. In his announcement, the Warren G. Harding High standout noted that he was "truly honored and beyond grateful" to have an opportunity to continue his career at Penn State. The Nittany Lions extended their of- fer to Coleman in September when he was developing into one of the fastest- rising prospects in his region. The PSU coaching staff needed only four game tapes to make the leap. At that point, Coleman had totaled 28 tackles, including 8 for loss and 4 sacks. He finished the season with 68 total tackles, including 16 for loss and 5 sacks in 11 games. He was exceptional at creating turnovers, forcing 9 fumbles and recovering 2 while also intercepting 3 passes. Coleman also played offense and ran for 695 yards and 7 touchdowns while adding 4 catches for 89 yards and 2 more scores. He had excelled at quarterback during his junior year, but Warren G. Harding underwent a change in leadership fol- lowing the 2023 season. The team's new head coach, Matt Richardson, thought that with his extreme athleticism, Cole- man's best position was defensive end. "When I watched him play bas- ketball, I immediately thought he was a Power Five edge rusher with- out seeing him do anything on the football field," Richardson said. "If you just watch his basketball high- light film for two minutes, you'll see he's a walking double-double. He's dunking all over the place and showing his explosiveness." Ole Miss was one of the schools that took notice. Lane Kiffin's staff liked Coleman's basketball film but thought he would fit in best on of- fense and recruited him as a tight end. Richardson still saw him as a bet- ter fit on defense at the college level. "I know there are a lot of people who make more money than me who do this thing, but I think it's hard to find guys like him who close on the football like that," Richardson said. "It's much easier to find tight ends. "But after his film got out there more, it really took off. He played really well this season, and he's still so raw. He hasn't even scratched the surface. Once he gets his weight up and learns how to use his hands, the sky's the limit." Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan State and Purdue all offered, in addition to Penn State and Ole Miss. Coleman traveled to East Lansing in September and took an official visit to Kentucky at the end of October. His official visit to Penn State was his first time in Happy Valley. Rich- ardson said he wasn't surprised when he learned that Coleman had committed during White Out Weekend. "Penn State does things very profes- sionally," the coach said. "Plus, it's far enough away from home that he has that space, but not too far if he has to get back to his family. He has a lot of brothers and sisters, so that was important to him, and I know the staff made him feel very comfortable." ■ Versatile Ohio Athlete Finds Right Fit At Penn State S E A N F I T Z | S E A N . F I T Z @ O N 3 . C O M Coleman played on both sides of the ball at Warren G. Harding High, but he was recruited as a defensive end by the Nittany Lions. PHOTO BY MICK WALKER/LETTERMEN ROW COMMITMENT PROFILE CHAZ COLEMAN Chaz Coleman is a twitched-up jumbo athlete. I think the athleticism is where you have to start when you're talking about what he brings to the table. He plays all over the field for his high school team. He lines up at quarterback on offense and then as a pass rusher and sometimes an off-ball line- backer on defense. Immediately, you see the high-end movement skills in every capacity. What jumps out to me is just how loose and fluid he is, in addition to being explosive. You can just tell he's a natural athlete. He changes directions really well and shows signs of outstanding bend around the edge when he's rushing the passer. He can really dip his shoulder well and get underneath offensive linemen. Overall, I really like the pickup for Penn State. He had been completely off the radar but quickly became a blue-chip prospect. That's a resourceful eval by Penn State. They moved quickly and got him into the fold at not only a premium position but also one that they've done a really good job of evaluating and developing under James Franklin. — Charles Power, On3 director of scouting and rankings P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N