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Several months ago, Nau’Jour Grainger, better known by his stage name Toosii, said he would be putting his music career on hold to pursue his football aspirations. His pivot led to an option with Syracuse beginning in 2026.
Grainger’s commitment to Syracuse was short-lived after the rapper later announced that he would not be participating in the program’s incoming recruiting class. Grainger pointed to recent comments by Syracuse head coach Fran Brown about his scholarship opportunity.
In a social media post, Grainger argued that Brown’s account of events leading up to his exit did not accurately reflect what happened. The 26-year-old later described the coach as a “bozo”.
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Syracuse Orange head coach Fran Brown during the fourth quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at the JMA Wireless Dome on September 20, 2024 in Syracuse, NY (Bryan Bennett/Getty Images)
“No coach, that’s not what happened,” Grainger said in a TikTok video. “I told you I wasn’t going there anymore and you feel like you wanted to break the news first before I told people what school I was going to. (Brown) is a bozo for that.”
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Grainger announced his commitment to Orange on December 1.
“For every kid who’s ever had a dream, make it come true,” he wrote on X after committing. “God’s will is the way and no one can stop it, not even the devil. I want to thank my lord and savior Jesus Christ for even giving me the strength to chase what I believed in when so many people told me I couldn’t. Thanks to the people who supported me too, it never goes unnoticed.”
Brown suggested earlier this month that Grainger would compete as a walk-on for one of the wide receiver spots in 2026. Grainger was a wide receiver and a kick returner in high school.
Singer Toosii performs during his Naujour tour at the Tabernacle on August 15, 2023 in Atlanta. (Prince Williams/Getty Images)
Syracuse brought in three receivers in the most recent transfer window. Brown also acknowledged the possibility that Grainger might not wear a Syracuse uniform this fall, citing how the roster was filled out.
“He’s still thinking about it… I’m not really sure if it’s going to happen because we’re getting more and more players on the football team,” the coach said last week.
Syracuse Orange head coach Fran Brown speaks to the media during the ACC Kickoff at the Hilton Charlotte Uptown on July 25, 2024 in Charlotte, NC (Jim Dedmon/USA Today Sports)
Grainger took issue with Brown’s framing and offered evidence to further prove his position.
“That was never the conversation,” Toosii said. “The conversation was, ‘You guys pay for my school.’ That’s what it was. If you’re lying, I’ve got receipts.”
Aside from Orange, the Syracuse native also reportedly visited schools closer to where he grew up in North Carolina — Duke and North Carolina. 247Sports also reported that Grainger received a scholarship offer from Sacramento State.
