Carolina Panthers sign former college basketball player to compete on offense
The Carolina Panthers are getting creative with their tight end depth chart.
The team signed former Division I college basketball player Colin Granger to a contract on Monday. The team announced Granger will play tight end as he transitions to a new sport.
Granger, who played for Coastal Carolina’s men’s basketball team last year, also had stints with Western Carolina and Ohio University. The 6-foot-9, 235-pound athlete from Johns Creek, Georgia, averaged 3.5 points and 2.7 rebounds during his college career.
![Ohio University’s Colin Granger scrambles to get the ball to a teammate during the second half between Kent’s Giovanni Santiago and Heremiah Hernandez, right, on Thursday, March 11, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio, in a Mid-American Conference quarterfinal game at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. The Bobcats won the game 85-62. [Phil Masturzo/ Beacon Journal] Ksu Hoops6](https://www.charlotteobserver.com/public/latest-news/smvlqc/picture303674241/alternates/FREE_1140/Imagn-15707907.JPG "Imagn-15707907.JPG")
Granger is following the NFL path of notable names like Antonio Gates, a recent elect to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and Jimmy Graham, as a college basketball player-turned-NFL tight end. Graham played for the Seattle Seahawks during head coach Dave Canales’ longtime tenure with the NFC West franchise.
The new recruit has good size for the position, but he will need to compete behind Tommy Tremble and Ja’Tavion Sanders to earn a spot on the Panthers’ roster. As of now, Granger’s top competition will be veteran wideout-turned-tight end Jordan Matthews, who has been with the team for two seasons. The team is also likely to address the position later this month in the NFL Draft.
Granger, who was a center during his basketball career, will likely be working to make the team’s practice squad as a rookie. He’s learning a new position at the highest level of the sport, and his upside is more likely to be explored behind the scenes than on Sundays early on his career.
The incoming rookie didn’t play college football, so his learning curve should be pretty steep. Granger will get his first glimpse of the NFL business when the team begins its offseason program on April 21.
This story was originally published April 7, 2025 at 1:01 PM with the headline "Carolina Panthers sign former college basketball player to compete on offense."
