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Several months ago, Nau’Jour Grainger, better known by his stage name Toosii, said he would pause his music career to pursue his footballing aspirations. His pivot led to an opportunity with Syracuse starting in 2026.
Grainger’s commitment to Syracuse was short-lived after the rapper later announced he would not join the program’s new recruiting class. Grainger pointed to Syracuse head coach Fran Brown’s recent comments about his scholarship opportunity.
In a social media post, Grainger argued that Brown’s account of the events leading to his departure did not accurately reflect what happened. The 26-year-old then called the coach 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 coming there anymore, and you feel like you wanted to break the news first before telling people what school I was going to. (Brown) is an idiot for that.”
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Grainger announced his commitment to Orange on December 1.
“For every child who ever had a dream, make it a reality,” he wrote on X after signing up. “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 giving me the strength to pursue what I believed in when so many people told me I couldn’t. Also thank you to the people who supported me, it never goes unnoticed.”
Brown suggested earlier this month that Grainger would compete as a backup for one of the wide receiver roster spots in 2026. Grainger was a wide receiver and kick returner in high school.
Singer Toosii performs during his Naujour at the Tabernacle Tour on August 15, 2023 in Atlanta. (Prince Williams/Getty Images)
Syracuse signed three receivers this past transfer period. Brown also acknowledged the possibility that Grainger might not wear a Syracuse uniform this fall, citing how the roster was stacked.
“He’s still thinking about it. … I’m not really sure it’s going to happen because we have 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, North Carolina. (Jim Dedmon/USA Today Sports)
Grainger challenged Brown’s phrasing and presented evidence to further prove his position.
“That was never the conversation,” Toosii said. “The conversation was, ‘You all pay for my school.’ That’s what it was. If you’re lying, I have receipts.
Besides the 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.
