Na’jour Grainger, popularly known as Toosii, built his name in music, but at 25, the rapper is chasing a different stage. Now working at Lane Kiffin’s camp, he is trying to prove that his late football leap is more than a headline grab. For all the skepticism around the switch, the early flashes suggested there might be something real to watch.

“TRENDING: 25-year-old 5-foot-8 rapper Toosii has been training daily, getting ready for his freshman year of football at LSU,” NFL reporter Dov Kleiman said on X. “The rapper plans to make it to the NFL after playing CFB. Toosii recently decommitted from Syracuse.”

Well, after making a dramatic turn from a successful singing career, Toosii is now making sure he gives his 100% to football. In the video posted by Kleiman, he was seen practicing in the LSU facility, making catches and trying to get better in his grip.

Grainger is not just relying on celebrity status. Footage from Baton Rouge shows the 25-year-old flashing legitimate quickness and clean footwork in his routes. For an offensive mastermind like Lane Kiffin, Toosii’s raw athleticism hints that he could eventually become a reliable weapon.

In early December 2025, Toosii announced on Instagram that he wants to play football at Syracuse University in 2026. He even posts about his commitment to the team, as that move made sense, knowing his ties with the team. Grainger was born and raised in Syracuse and played wide receiver in Rolesville.

Later, Syracuse head coach Fran Brown spoke on ‘Cuse Sports Talk’ and seemed to downplay the news. He says he planned to give Grainger a chance to join as a walk-on, but because the team has added many new players through the transfer portal, he needs to review the situation carefully before making a decision. He later added more fuel to the fire.

“He’s still thinking about it … I’m not really sure if that will happen because we’re getting more and more players on the football team,” Brown said.

That’s when things started to get weird between Syracuse and Grainger. He reacted to it by deleting his Syracuse post on social media, showing he was unhappy with Coach Brown’s comments. On January 22, he confirmed on X that he had decommitted from Syracuse. He then posts an Instagram video calling Brown a “bozo” and says Brown tried to “save face” after he left. Later, Toosii moved to LSU.

Now, the real question is, why did he decide to take a break from his successful career? In early 2025, Grainger made it clear that he would halt his music career to focus on playing college football. He explains that he played high school football in North Carolina and wants to play at the college level. He even visited several programs like Maryland, USC, and Duke and got an offer from Sacramento State. But then he ultimately chose Syracuse, and now he is at LSU.

It wasn’t like his music career wasn’t that smooth. His popular song “Favorite Song” became very successful, selling enough copies to go double platinum. It also got over 330 million views on YouTube. But in the end, the heart wants what it wants, and Toosii followed his heart and joined college sports to gain another milestone in his career. But is it a risky bet on switching careers this late? Apparently not.

Players who stepped up for their dreams, just like Na’jour Grainger

Toosii is not the only person to try football after focusing on a different career. Antonio Gates never played college football. He played basketball at Kent State but later signed with the San Diego Chargers as an NFL player. Despite his unusual start, he became one of the best tight ends in the league.

Then there’s Preston Pearson, who also never played college football, yet the Baltimore Colts drafted him in 1967. Scouts liked his athletic ability, and he went on to have a long and successful professional career in football. Similarly, Carson Towt played basketball at Notre Dame but never played organized football. Still, he signed with the Indianapolis Colts as a tight end, showing that switching sports late is possible.

But will it be easy for Na’jour Grainger to make a possible impact on the field under Kiffin? Being a first-year coach himself, taking the risk of starting a rookie player is something that he might want to avoid. So, now it will be interesting to see how Na’jour Grainger’s career moves ahead in the 2026 season under Lane Kiffin.