Panthers sign former Division I college basketball player as TE prospect

The Carolina Panthers announced on Monday that they signed a tight end prospect — not exactly earth-shattering news. What makes it interesting? He’s a former Division I basketball player who has never played football.

Colin Granger, who stands at 6-foot-9 and most recently played as a forward for Coastal Carolina, is “making the transition to football,” according to the statement released by the Panthers on Monday.

“This is Granger’s first foray into football,” the statement said.

Granger played college basketball as a forward for five years. He averaged 7.2 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in 31 appearances for the Chanticleers last season. Before transferring to Coastal Carolina in 2024, Granger had two-year stints at Ohio (2020-22) and Western Carolina (2022-24).

The Panthers finished the 2024-25 NFL season with the second-worst record in the NFC South (5-12). Their current tight end pool features Tommy Tremble, Ja’Tavion Sanders, Jordan Matthews, Dominique Dafney and James Mitchell.

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