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The Carolina Panthers announced a surprise signing on Monday in the form of tight end Colin Granger. The 6-foot-9 pass catcher has no prior football experience.
Granger was a basketball star at the college level, suiting up for three different programs in five years. Now, he’ll test out the gridiron as an NFL pro.
Granger, who fittingly goes by Big Bird on his Instagram account, was a two-time all-region player as a high schooler in Georgia. He signed with the Ohio Bobcats in the class of 2020. Across two years with the program, he saw action in 25 games with two starts.
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He then transferred closer to home, joining the Western Carolina Catamounts as a junior. There, he saw an uptick in playing time making seven starts across 64 appearances.
The 2020 COVID blanket waiver gave him an opportunity to play a fifth season. He again entered the transfer portal before landing at Coastal Carolina.
In his final season, he recorded career-highs in points (7.2 ppg) and rebounds (4.4 rpg). His time on the court came to a close after the 2024-25 campaign.
Colin Granger was a force in the paint as a senior. He shot 58% from the field in a reserve role. Unfortunately, the NBA was not an option for the big man. He’s now making a drastic shift.
Colin Granger signed with the Carolina Panthers on Monday.
The Panthers announced the move in a post on the team website. He’ll get an opportunity to make an impact on the offense moving forward.
At 6-foot-9, he immediately becomes the tallest player on the Carolina roster. The previous titleholder was offensive lineman Yosh Nijman at 6-foot-7.
Offensive huddles could provide a sight to see in future seasons. Granger stands nearly a foot taller than the man that will be throwing him the football!
Bryce Young is listed a 5-foot-10 in his official bio. His size has been a talking point throughout his time in the league. Despite his stature, he was taken No. 1 overall by the franchise in the ’23 NFL Draft.
To this point, his play has been up and down. He struggled as a rookie before being benched three games into the 2024 season. Young eventually returned to the starting lineup midway through the year, winning four games in his last 10 tries. He finished the campaign on a high note, tossing seven touchdowns and no interceptions in his last three contests.
Now, he’ll have a potential redzone weapon in Colin Granger as he looks to build upon that success. The Panthers start their 2025 season in September against the Saints. We’ll see if Carolina’s new addition is able to make an immediate impact.