Former college basketball big man-turned-tight end Colin Granger gets waived by NFC South team

The Carolina Panthers have cut Colin Granger, the team announced on Friday. The NFC South franchise waived the tight end, who was pursuing a football career after playing five seasons of college basketball.

Per reports, the Panthers released Granger after an injury settlement. He picked up a hamstring injury while training with the team.

The Panthers were aiming to use Granger's 6-foot-9 frame as a target for quarterback Bryce Young. However, since his injury took place before the rookie mini-camp, the TE won't be part of Carolina's roster.

Granger signed for the Panthers on April 7. He had no prior experience of playing college football. When Granger attended Lambert High School, he played football and lacrosse through eighth grade. However, he focused primarily on basketball in college.

“My freshman year of high school, I had just stopped playing football,” Granger said just before joining the Panthers' practice squad. "The head football coach called me out of class every single day, and he wanted me to play football."

Even Panthers' President of Football Operations and General Manager, Dan Morgan, explained the team's decision to sign Granger.

"I think it's a good opportunity to fill out our 90-man roster," Morgan said at the time. "Colin had a good workout. He was recommended by George Fant, who we're familiar with from our Seattle days. It's just an opportunity just to add a guy, and be open-minded and just kinda try some new things and see what we have."

However, after just one month of working together, the Panthers cut Granger. Carolina now looks ahead in its preparations for the 2025 season, in which they are looking to banish a sequence of losing campaigns that date back to the 2017 season. After winning only seven combined games in the past two campaigns, fans are desperate to see competitive football.

A glimpse into Colin Granger's college basketball career

Former Ohio Bobcats star Colin Granger - Source: Getty

Colin Granger committed to Ohio University in 2020 and spent two years with the Bobcats.

In 2022, Granger transferred to Western Carolina. He played two years with the Catamounts before transferring to Coastal Carolina for the final year of his college basketball career.

Across five years on the college basketball circuit, Granger recorded 414 points, 31 assists and 322 rebounds.