The platinum-selling artist says he will return to his hometown to play Division I football as part of Syracuse’s 2026 recruiting class.
WASHINGTON — Syracuse football landed an unlikely new recruit on Monday in platinum-selling rapper Nau’Jour “Toosii” Grainger.
Grainger, a 25-year-old Syracuse native, announced that he plans to join the Orange as part of its 2026 recruiting class.
“To be born in Syracuse and move to North Carolina at age 12 and haven’t been back since,” he wrote. “When Coach Fran called, I knew it was a sign from God. So with that being said, Cuse I’m coming home.”
Grainger played high school football prior to launching his music career, which has included multiple RIAA certifications and millions of listeners across streaming platforms. His 2023 TikTok viral hit “Favorite Song” went double-platinum and peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In August, Grainger publicly said he was pausing music to pursue football, writing that he aimed to become the “first multi-platinum recording artist to go back to school and play DIVISION I football.”
Since then, he has shared workout videos and documented recruiting visits to schools, including Duke University and Sacramento State.