Rapper Toosii Commits To Syracuse Football: ‘First Multi-Platinum Recording Artist To Go Back To School & Play DIVISION I Football’

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by Carl LivelyDecember 10, 2025, 1:18 am >

Multi-platinum rap artist Nau’Jour Grainger, better known by his rapper name Toosii, announced he will be playing football for Syracuse. Toosii, who is from Syracuse, told his 4.5 million Instagram followers that he took a recruiting visit earlier this year and posted photos announcing the news.

Grainger, best known for his hit “Favorite Song,” which went viral on TikTok after its 2023 release, also announced that, as a result of his decision to pursue football, he will be taking a break from music to focus on training.

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Toosii is known for his emotional and compelling lyricism, and his ability to blend hip-hop and R&B has helped him gain a massive following on social media. Toosii derives his stage name from his childhood, when he was called “Toota,” and changed it after his high school football teammates mistakenly called him “ToosII” with two ‘i’s’ to “see the vision.”

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The Syracuse native lived in the Central Park neighborhood until age 12, when he and his family moved to North Carolina, where he went on to play high school football.

“I’m chasing history,” Grainger said in an X post back in August. “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!”

This announcement doesn’t come as a surprise to many, as this has been his stated goal for the past year. Grainger graduated from high school in 2018. The 5’8” receiver was known for playing wideout but also returned punts and kickoffs.

Grainger was also seen at a Syracuse gameday recently against Florida Atlantic. He has been training at a North Carolina practice facility to get ready and in shape for the upcoming football season. Syracuse currently sits in last place in the ACC, winning just one of its eight matchups this season. While Syracuse’s woes are significant, Toosii will still have to earn a spot in the rotation heading into the 2026 college football season.