Syracuse football’s 2026 recruiting class just added one of the most unexpected - and intriguing - names in recent memory. Recording artist Toosii, whose legal name is Nau’Jour Grainger, has officially committed to the Orange, announcing the news on Instagram with a message that’s equal parts emotional and determined. And yes, he’s not just a celebrity walk-on - he’s expected to suit up as a wide receiver.
Grainger’s football roots run deeper than some might realize. Before he was climbing the Billboard charts, he was lining up out wide and returning kicks at Rolesville High School in North Carolina, where he graduated in 2018.
Born in Syracuse in 2000, he moved south at age 12 - a move that eventually set the stage for his rise in the music world. But now, he’s coming full circle, returning to his hometown with a new mission: prove he belongs on the field, not just in the studio.
Toosii’s breakout moment in music came in 2023 when his hit single “Favorite Song” exploded on TikTok, eventually going double platinum and climbing to No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. His second studio album, Naujour, reached No. 19 on the Billboard 200 - a clear sign that his music career was not just taking off, but thriving.
But in August, Grainger made headlines of a different kind when he announced he was pressing pause on music to chase a dream that had been on hold: playing college football. Since then, he’s been on the radar of several programs, receiving an offer from Sacramento State and taking visits to NC State and Duke. But when Syracuse head coach Fran Brown picked up the phone, it struck a different chord.
“Committed,” Grainger wrote in his Instagram post. “For every kid who ever had a dream, make it reality. God’s will is the way and no one can stop it not even the devil.”
He went on to thank his faith, his supporters, and the people who believed in him when others didn’t. And then came the line that hit home for Orange fans: “To be born in Syracuse and move to North Carolina at age 12 and haven’t been back since.
When Coach Fran called, I knew it was a sign from God. So with that being said, Cuse I’m coming home.”
It’s a storyline that feels like it’s straight out of a sports docuseries: a hometown kid returns after years away, with a platinum record in one hand and a pair of cleats in the other. The question now shifts from “Is this real?”
to “Can he really play?” That answer will come in time.
But for now, Syracuse just added a high-profile name with a high-upside story to its future roster - and college football just got a little more interesting.