Rapper Toosii Announces He’ll Play Football at Syracuse University

Toosii is heading to the gridiron. On Tuesday, the multi-platinum rapper announced that he’s committed to playing football at Syracuse University.

“COMMITTED,” wrote Toosii, whose real name is Nau’Jour Grainger, on social media. “For every kid who ever had a dream, make it reality. 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.”

The artist posted the caption alongside photos of himself in a No. 2 Orange football uniform and thanked his supporters, adding, “it never go unnoticed.” Toosii, who was born in Syracuse, New York, said he moved to North Carolina at age 12 and hasn’t been back since. “When Coach Fran [Brown] called, I knew it was a sign from God,” said the rapper. “So with that being said, Cuse I’m coming home.”

A source confirmed Toosii’s commitment to The Associated Press. When reached for comment, a representative for Syracuse University Athletics told Rolling Stone in a statement that NCAA rules prohibit the school from “commenting on prospective student-athletes.”

In 2021, Toosii led Rolling Stone‘s Breakthrough 25 chart ranking artists who saw the greatest gains each month in audio streams that year. His debut album, Poetic Pain, was released in 2020. It was followed by “Favorite Song” — the lead single from his second studio album, 2023’s Naujour — which reached Number Five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.