CHARLOTTE — The NFL’s Carolina Panthers have signed Colin Granger, a forward for the Coastal Carolina men’s basketball team, the franchise announced Monday.
The 6-foot-9, 225-pound Granger will play tight end for the Panthers, which marks his “first foray into football,” according to a news release.
At 6-9, Granger becomes the tallest player on the Panthers roster, ahead of 6-foot-7 tackle Yosh Nijman. He is also one of six tight ends on the 90-man roster, along with Tommy Tremble, Ja’Tavion Sanders, James Mitchell, Jordan Matthews and Dominique Dafney.
Granger most recently played in 31 games as a grad transfer for Coastal Carolina this past season. He made 11 starts while averaging 7.2 points on 57.9% shooting and 4.4 rebounds in 17.8 minutes per game.
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Prior to Coastal Carolina, Granger played two seasons at Western Carolina from 2022-24, and two seasons at Ohio University from 2020-22. For his five-year collegiate career, the Suwanee, Georgia, native averaged 3.5 points on 52.3% shooting and 2.7 rebounds.
Granger isn’t the first former college basketball player to transition from hoops to the NFL, specifically at tight end. Former NFL stars Tony Gonzalez (California), Antonio Gates (Eastern Michigan and Kent State) and Jimmy Graham (Miami) each played college basketball prior to decorated NFL careers.
