It’s not every day that you see a 25-year-old player recruited to play college football – and that’s not even the most bizarre thing about Syracuse’s newest commitment.
Nau’jour ‘Toosii’ Grainger announced on Monday that he will play for the Orange in the 2026 NCAA season.
The rapper, who boasts more than 3.9 million monthly listeners on Spotify, reportedly was in demand, having received a scholarship offer from Sacramento State and also took recruiting visits to Duke and North Carolina State.
Grainger previously played football for Rolesville (N.C.) High School, graduating as part of the class of 2018, according to 247Sports. He suited up as a dual-threat wide receiver and kick returning, but opted to follow the path as an aspiring rapper instead of pursuing college options upon graduation.
Hit song goes viral on TikTok
It turned out to be a good decision, with his single Favorite Song going viral on TikTok in 2023. The hit reached No. 5 on the Hot 100, according to Variety, and achieved double-platinum status.
“For every kid who ever had a dream, make it reality,” Grainger wrote on X while sharing several pics of himself in uniform. “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 (Brown) called, I knew it was a sign from God. So with that being said, Cuse I’m coming home.”
In November, he shared a clip of himself working out at NC State’s training facilities after posting back in August that he was “chasing history.”
Grainger joins an Orange team that started the current NCAA season strong, before starting quarterback Steve Angeli tore his Achilles in September. After opening the season at 3-1 including a big win over Clemson, Syracuse lost its final eight games to finish with a 3-9 record.