CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers on Monday signed a big project to develop as a tight end.

Big as in 6-foot-9 and 225 pounds

Former Division I basketball player Colin Granger will begin his journey into football after five years of playing college basketball at Ohio, Western Carolina and Coastal Carolina.

He will compete for playing time with Tommy Tremble, Ja’Tavion Sanders, Jordan Matthews, James Mitchell and Dominique Dafney.

This is not the first time Carolina coach Dave Canales and general manager Dan Morgan have been a part of an experiment with a former basketball player. Both were in Seattle when the Seahawks signed former Western Carolina basketball and football player George Fant (6-5, 315) to be a hybrid tackle/tight end.

Fant has played seven seasons with Seattle, the New York Jets and the Houston Texans.

The difference is Granger has never played football.

The Panthers are hoping will Granger follow in the footsteps of Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates, Jimmy Graham and others who have gone from college basketball to the NFL as successful tight ends.