The LSU Tigers and head coach Lane Kiffin avoided a Sorsby-like drama in the case of rapper and wide receiver Nau’Jour Grainger, popularly known as Toosi. Texas Tech went to war with the NCAA to save their QB’s eligibility. However, Toosi returned to his music career before any intervention from the governing body.

“Now, he just recently… after seeing it all and, like, going through it, he was doing well,” Lane Kiffin responded when asked if Grainger was still with LSU on the In the Bayou with Tyrann Mathieu podcast. “I think he just had to balance everything. And then, there’s little limitations too on what he can make and do. I think he signed with one of the gambling company thing, where you do commercials and stuff, and that shouldn’t work with the NCAA, you know? So, he went back to his professional career.”

When Grainger announced his commitment to Syracuse in December, it went viral immediately. He was not just without collegiate football experience; he had also built a thriving, multi-platinum music career that made many wonder what the foray into football would mean. His only prior experience was at Rolesville High School in Raleigh, where he played as a wide receiver and a kick returner, which was as far back as 2015.

But according to his announcement, Grainger was “chasing history” to become the “first multi-platinum recording artist to go back to school and play Division I football.” At the time, he was training at the NC State practice facility, close to where he lived.

After a fallout with Syracuse head coach Fran Brown, he enrolled at LSU and was listed on the program’s roster for spring practices as a freshman, wearing number 89. And over the months, he has been posting videos of himself running routes and catching balls in Baton Rouge.

However, his dreams have been dealt a huge blow, as the compromise between football and music no longer seems feasible. The deal breaker was a deal Grainger had with a gambling company that would have him making commercials for them, according to Kiffin.

In Sorsby’s case, Texas Tech fought the NCAA when the latter deemed him ineligible for betting on his team while he was at Indiana. That included an ugly drama in which it looked like the QB would get away, despite bringing the integrity of the game into disrepute.

That didn’t happen in Toosi’s case, as he ended his college dream before the NCAA could get involved. The student-athletes are allowed to make money using their name, image, and likeness. That includes signing with brands. However, these deals are subject to university policies and state laws.

For instance, LSU student-athletes can’t promote alcohol, tobacco, or sports gambling, among other things. These things are grouped into ‘vice’ categories. If a player still does it, the Tigers must report it to the NCAA, which can then declare the player ineligible to compete.

Lane Kiffin’s initial response to Grainger 

Grainger began his rap career as a young teenager. As of March, he had over 3.6 million monthly listeners on Spotify, per Yahoo Sports, with hit singles like “Favorite Song,” “Love Hurts,” and “Pull Up.” His song, “Favorite Song,” currently has 364 million views on YouTube. With all his musical accolades, it was only normal that Kiffin questioned the idea of him playing football at first.

“He came to us with it, and I didn’t know,” Kiffin added. “I’m like, ‘what are we really doing here? Is this a stunt?’ And I met with him; he’s awesome. He’s an awesome person, figured out life, going through a lot of stuff like a lot of us. In a really good spot, and he just wanted to try. He’s like, ‘I’ve already done all that, I’ve done these things. I really want to take the shot and see what I can do.”

Lane Kiffin cherished his time with the program, speaking highly of Grainger’s character and personality. Most importantly, he revealed that the rapper impacted some of his players during his short stint.