Former 4-star EDGE Chaz Coleman will not be playing for the Tennessee Volunteers during the 2026 season and, unless the sport accommodates him with a sudden rule change, won't be playing this fall at all, for anyone. The Vols announced Friday that he was medically disqualified.
Elsewhere, I got the chance to speak to legendary former LSU Tigers corner Patrick Peterson in promotion of NBC's 2026 American Century Championship. The ACC takes place at the Edgewood Tahoe Resort in Stateline, Nevada, July 10-12, where Peterson will be one of over 85 celebrities taking part in the annual charity golf tournament. Besides discussing how he's using the Performance Golf PG1 app to improve his swing, Peterson talked about the job Lane Kiffin has done on the recruiting trail this month. The Bayou Bengals are up to seven blue-chip recruits for the 2027 cycle in the month of June and continue ascending up the 247Sports composite team rankings. They also had the No. 1 portal class in January.
Here were some gridiron headlines on Friday across the SEC:
Chaz Coleman will never suit up for Tennessee
Josh Heupel's Big Orange program has been rocked by off-field scandals, most notably Nico Iamaleava's transfer snafu last spring. That at least had a happy ending, though, with Iamaleava taking advantage of a second portal window and landing with the UCLA Bruins. There is none for Coleman here. He won't get the chance to play in 2026 at all.
It's unclear whether Coleman will get his money, but at this point, he should. Whatever medical issue it was that was just found out now should've been spotted earlier. If that's even what the real issue was. If so, Coleman would've at least had time to form a Plan B.
Where this goes next is anyone's guess. Tennessee doesn't look good from this in the slightest, though. Not after this became the third high-profile spat with a player, after Iamaleava and Boo Carter in November.
Brian Kelly hired for second gig, Ole Miss lands 4-star OT
Patrick Peterson loves the job Lane Kiffin is doing at LSU
Peterson is a proud LSU alum who served as a strong ambassador when discussing why Kiffin has been able to keep Louisiana recruits in-state while also bringing on top national recruits from other states. Peterson is a Pompano Beach, Florida, native who went on to become the No. 5 pick in the 2011 draft by the Arizona Cardinals. Peterson played a decade in the desert, two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, and retired as a Pittsburgh Steelers.
"First and foremost, Baton Rouge is probably one of the richer football communities that I've ever been a part of. The excitement, there's something to do there year-round, the hospitality they show, just the people in general. You don't even have to be a ball player. They just genuinely want to give a helping hand. And for me, that's the family I came from, that's something that I gravitated towards," Peterson told me about the natural pull of LSU.
Peterson went on to explain the differences between the NIL era and the era he came from. Peterson played from 2008 to 2010, before players received regular paychecks directly from schools or third-party sponsors.
"Winning, in my opinion, that's all that matters. And at that time, there was no NIL. Like, I wasn't getting thousands of dollars. I was just getting, you know, the monthly stipend that they were giving me for being on scholarship, and my financial aid. I can only imagine how it could be now, but I believe this is where you can start to see guys who really love the game and guys who really want what comes with the game. I believe you're going to start seeing guys getting weeded out," Peterson said.
"It's only going to be one position that's going to be playing over 10-plus years, and that's going to be quarterback. That's almost inevitable. Every other position, you're not going to see many guys in this era, playing 13, 14, 15 years, just because of the way the game is and how these youngins are being brought up. I feel like the love of the game is not the same."
When it comes to what Kiffin is doing, Peterson is on board with his ability to embrace the LSU culture and get recruits committed. It's clear Peterson was not on board with how the team was under Brian Kelly, offensively, with the guys he had calling plays, and defensively, between Ed Oregeron's tenure and Kiffin's. Peterson specifically named Oregeron as someone who will help change the culture, though, in his new role as a recruiting and defensive assistant.
"It's great, man. I really love the impact that Lane Kiffin has made so far on Baton Rouge and Louisiana. There's never been a shortage of talent there, right? The biggest question has always been, 'Can we get the guy that meshes with the talent, as far as the right play caller, not being scared, being aggressive, really showcasing the talent that you have on your roster?' I feel like Lane Kiffin is going to be a night-and-day difference from what we as LSU fans and players are used to seeing. His offense over the last three years has averaged 500 yards a game. We haven't seen that since a Joe Burrow and a Jayden Daniels," Peterson said.
"And LSU has always been a school that prides itself on defense. The last couple of years, we kind of didn't have that. I feel like we can get back to that point, bringing back Coach O, who was there for the last national championship. They were nasty. They were getting after the quarterback, you know, punishing the ball carrier. So I believe having him back in the building is definitely going to get the defense where it needs to be. And Lane Kiffin is the cherry on top to keep the fans happy and march towards a national championship."
Needless to say, the excitement for Kiffin in the Bayou is palpable. We'll see if he could fulfill that promise this fall and beyond.
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