Rap star Toosii is taking his football skills to New York, as he has committed to the Syracuse Orange football team in NCAA Division 1.
On Monday, December 1, the platinum-selling artist, born Nau’Jour Grainger, revealed that he’s committing to play football for Syracuse University under new head coach Fran Brown. The news follows Toosii’s previous commitment to Sacramento State University. Toosii will join a red-hot Syracuse athletics department that includes NCAA basketball star Kiyan Anthony, son of retired NBA star Carmelo Anthony.
Toosii shared the announcement with an emotional message that highlighted how personal the decision felt. “When Coach Fran called, I knew it was a sign from God… Cuse I’m coming home,” he wrote.
The declaration hit especially hard for Syracuse residents who remember his early years in the city before his family moved to North Carolina, where his athletic and musical paths took shape. Even as his fame grew, he often referenced Syracuse as the place that shaped him.
The move signals more than a headline-making pivot. For Toosii, it marks a return to identity and a reconnection to the environment that fueled his earliest ambitions.
Toosii Joins NCAA Division 1 Syracuse Football Team
He left Syracuse at twelve, entered a new football culture in the South, and eventually found his lane in music. His rise accelerated quickly, yet his connection to his hometown stayed strong. The decision to play Division I football reflects his desire to expand—not replace—his public identity.
Earlier this year, he teased the possibility on social media, writing, “I’m chasing history. 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!” With this commitment, he makes good on that promise.
The announcement also arrives as Syracuse football enters a new era. Coach Fran Brown has electrified the program with an energetic leadership style and strong recruiting presence. Adding a figure as visible as Toosii only intensifies the buzz.
Still, Toosii knows he must earn a role like any athlete. Training, eligibility steps, and integration into the program lie ahead.
What remains clear is the intention behind the move. Toosii sees this new chapter as a challenge grounded in discipline, endurance, and personal growth. It’s not a publicity stunt. It’s a homecoming.
And for Syracuse, his return brings cultural energy that reaches beyond the field, blending hip-hop star power with hometown pride in a way the city hasn’t seen before.
Leave a Reply