Penn State football might just have another elite edge rusher, folks.

True freshman Chaz Coleman made his presence felt in Penn State’s defensive line rotation with a dominant showing against Florida International on Saturday afternoon. The edge rusher tabbed four tackles, one sack, two tackles-for-loss, one pass breakup, two quarterback hurries, and one forced fumble that he returned for 39 yards to FIU’s 5-yard line. His return set up Nick Singleton’s 5-yard score in the final two minutes to see the game out for the Nittany Lions.

Coleman chose not to enroll early and missed spring ball for Penn State. However, rumblings throughout fall camp highlighted him as a player to watch in a deep defensive line mix that was struggling through some injuries to key players.

Ahead of the Nittany Lions’ season-opening win against Nevada, James Franklin said Coleman was going to get live reps against the Wolf Pack. While he didn’t play as much as Franklin said he would, the head coach still said he’d be in the mix ahead of week two’s game against FIU. Coleman did not disappoint.

Coleman’s strip sack of FIU backup quarterback Joe Pesansky and subsequent fumble recovery in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s matchup has brought the freshman’s name to the forefront of Penn State’s defensive discussions.

“You guys are starting to see what we saw at camp,” Franklin said postgame. “…He wasn’t even here for spring ball, so I think you’re going to just continue to take significant strides. But he’s quick, he’s twitchy, he’s athletic.”

Franklin commended Coleman’s awareness on the field, specifically in his highlight-reel fumble return of his own strip. He said that Coleman is going to continue to get better week in and week out.

Coleman’s overall play against FIU was extra surprising when parlayed to the fact that Penn State hasn’t looked as dominant as fans expected it to be against non-conference competition. Franklin attributed this to the young talent on the roster that has appeared in the two opening games.

Despite this, Coleman’s inclusion into the defensive line mix coming off the edge revamped the Nittany Lions’ unit in the second half.

Defensive lineman Alonzo Ford Jr., who accounted for Penn State’s only other turnover on the day with his interception of FIU starting quarterback Keyone Jenkins in the first quarter, said Coleman’s performance throughout camp perfectly set him up for big games in the regular season.

“I’ve got kind of pretty used to it now, seeing it all camp,” Ford said of Coleman’s performance. “For me, it stunned me a little bit seeing strip sack and got his own recovery. It was a good thing to see for him, for sure.”

Coleman’s popularity with his teammates doesn’t stop at Ford. He’s been attributed to having an intense work ethic, always driving to get better and make a name for himself on the defensive line.

Redshirt freshman defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam hosted Coleman while he was a recruit on his official visit to Penn State. Gilliam thinks Coleman’s potential is through the roof, saying he has the potential to be one of the best players on the Nittany Lions’ roster.

On top of his strip sack and fumble return in the final frame, Coleman appeared in all four quarters for Penn State against FIU. He was the only true freshman to do so and tied with veteran Dani Dennis-Sutton for the second-highest solo tackles on the day with four.

Coleman’s impression on the defensive line wasn’t solely manufactured through his play against the Panthers, but he received a lot of notice from some of Penn State’s defensive veterans throughout training camp. Redshirt senior Dom DeLuca highlighted when Coleman started to turn his head.

“One of his pass rushes from fall camp. I was like, dude just got some twitch to him, was able to make the guy miss, just got back there without doing too much,” DeLuca said postgame. “He’s just a great athlete. I’m excited to see him this year.”

DeLuca attributed Coleman’s rapid showcase of talent to his high-motored work ethic. He said Coleman doesn’t talk much, but is all about his work and getting better day by day. He constantly asks questions and shows that he wants to be a part of something great in a Penn State defense that’s allowed 11 points and pitched a shutout through the first two games of the season.

It’s the fifth-straight season Penn State has shut out an opponent, the first five-season stretch that’s happened since 1972-76. With Coleman and other evolving defensive pieces in Jim Knowles’ defense, the Nittany Lions are in safe hands, looking towards the future of Penn State football.