The idea of going from the gridiron to the recording booth is somewhat of a normal one in the age of streaming. Double-platinum rapper Toosii is planning to do the reverse.
On Monday (Dec. 1), the 25-year-old born Nau’jour Grainger shared a photo of himself in a Syracuse University football uniform, officially committing to the Orange and returning to his hometown.
“For every kid who ever had a dream, make it reality,” he wrote on social media, confirming his plans to join head coach Fran Brown. “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.”
In August, Toosii announced he was stepping away from music to focus on football, sharing clips of him catching passes and running routes at North Carolina State University.
“I’m chasing history,” he wrote on August 18. “First multi-platinum recording artist to go back to school and play DIVISION I football next year I’m gonna be on somebody’s team mark my words!”
According to The Daily Orange, Toosii took visits to Maryland, Duke and Sacramento State before settling on the Orange. In a video uploaded to his Instagram account boasting over 4.5 million followers on Nov. 10, Toosii remarked that he was thankful for a shot at life.
Though he’s never played major college football before, the “Favorite Song” rapper has some history on the gridiron, starring at Rolesville High School in North Carolina as a wide receiver, kick returner and punt returner. A Hudl profile of Toosii reveals some of his high school highlights, though it remains unclear if he’ll be playing on Saturdays next season.
After winning 10 games in 2024, the Orange fell back to Earth in 2025, going 3-9 and finishing dead last in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings. Time will tell if Toosii helps the squad get back to their winning ways.
