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The Carolina Panthers signed former Division I basketball player Colin Granger as a tight end prospect, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported on Monday (April 7).
"The #Panthers signed former Division I basketball player Colin Granger as a tight end. Granger (6-9, 225) played five years as a center at Ohio University, Western Carolina and Coastal Carolina. This is Granger's first foray into football," Pelissero wrote on his X account.
The Panthers confirmed the signing on their official website Monday. Granger has never previously played organized football at any level.
The former power forward averaged 52.3 percent in field coals and recorded 322 rebounds during his college basketball career at Ohio University, Western Carolina and Coastal Carolina.
Panthers head coach Dave Canales and general manager Dan Morgan have both previously found success in signing a former college basketball players by turning undrafted Western Kentucky basketball and football player George Fant into hybrid tackle/tight end during their tenures with the Seattle Seahawks. Fant, who played seven NFL seasons with the Seahawks, New York Jets and Houston Texans, has been working with Granger and reportedly brought him to the Panthers' attention, ESPN reports.
Granger will look to follow in the footsteps of several former basketball players who achieved success at the tight end position including Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez -- the NFL's all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards by a tight end -- Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Antonio Gates -- the NFL all-time leader in touchdowns by a tight end -- and five-time Pro Bowler Jimmy Graham. The Panthers currently have five other tight ends on their roster including Tommy Tremble, Ja'Tavion Sanders, Jordan Matthews, James Mitchell and Dominique Dafney.