Rapper Toosii had done enough at 25 that he never had to do anything else and he could’ve coasted on the success he’d already had as a platinum recording artist. But Toosii, whose real name is Nau’jour Grainger, decided that just being a rapper wasn’t enough, he wanted to chase his dream.
So he let his social media followers know that he was going to follow another love, and at 25, Toosii declared that he was going to play college football. He began working out and earlier this week, Toosii announced that he was committing to play for the Syracuse Orange.
“For every kid who ever had a dream, make it reality,” Grainger wrote in his announcement. “God’s will is the way and no one can stop it not even the devil. I wanna thank my lord and savior Jesus Christ for even giving me the strength to chase what I believed when so many people told me I couldn’t. Thank you to the people who supported me as well, it never go unnoticed. To be born in Syracuse and move to North Carolina at age 12 and haven’t been back since. When Coach Fran called, I knew it was a sign from God. So with that being said, Cuse I’m coming home.”
“Born in Syracuse, Grainger moved to North Carolina as a teenager and began his music career. In 2020, his single ‘Love Cycle’ went platinum, and his single ‘Poetic Pain’ reached gold certification. In 2023, Grainger really flew up the charts when his single ‘Favorite Song’ went viral on TikTok and reached double platinum certification,” CBS Sports reports.
Toosii had some experience before he started working out. In high school, he played wide receiver and was a kick returner for Rolesville (N.C.) High.
After announcing that he was returning to football, Toosii visited N.C. State and Duke, and even got a scholarship offer from Sacramento State.
Now Toosii is going to have to work to see the field as the 2026 Syracuse signing class is loaded with talent, ranking No. 30 in the nation and No. 5 in the ACC.
