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Several months ago, Nau’Jour Grainger, better known by his stage name Toosii, said he would be taking a break from his music career to pursue his football aspirations. His pivot created an opportunity with Syracuse starting in 2026.
Grainger’s commitment to Syracuse was short-lived after the rapper later announced he would not be joining the program’s incoming recruiting class. Grainger pointed to recent comments made by Syracuse head coach Fran Brown regarding his scholarship opportunity.
In a social media post, Grainger argued that Brown’s account of the events leading up to his departure did not accurately reflect what happened. The 26-year-old later described the coach as a “fool.”
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Syracuse Orange head coach Fran Brown during the fourth quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at 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 wouldn’t go back there again and you feel like you wanted to break the news first before I told people what school I went to. (Brown) is a fool for that.”
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Grainger announced his commitment to Orange on December 1.
“For every child who has ever had a dream, make it come true,” she wrote on X after getting engaged. “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. Thank you also 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 tour at Tabernacle on August 15, 2023 in Atlanta. (Prince Williams/Getty Images)
Syracuse signed three receivers during the last transfer period. Brown also acknowledged the possibility of Grainger not wearing a Syracuse uniform this fall, citing how the roster was being filled out.
“He’s still thinking about it… I’m not really sure if that will 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 Hilton Charlotte Uptown on July 25, 2024, in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Jim Dedmon/USA Today Sports)
Grainger took issue with Brown’s formulation and offered evidence to further demonstrate 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 lie, I have receipts.”
In addition to the Orange, the Syracuse native also visited schools closer to where he grew up in North Carolina: Duke and North Carolina. 247Sports also reported that Grainger landed a scholarship offer from Sacramento State.
