Toosii has left the LSU Tigers football team. Coach Lane Kiffin says the rapper parted ways after he signed a deal with a gambling company.
On Wednesday (June 17), LSU Football head coach Lane Kiffin appeared on the In the Bayou with Tyrann Mathieu podcast and revealed that the former 2021 XXL Freshman left the program due to his signing a deal with a gambling company. Toosii, born Nau’Jour Grainger, joined the LSU Tigers football squad back in March as a wide receiver and impressed the coaches with his athletic prowess.
On the podcast episode, which can be viewed below, Kiffin said the 27-year-old rapper’s departure from LSU was because of “limitations on what he can make and do” when trying to juggle his music career alongside football.
“I think he signed with like one of the, I don’t know what they’re called, the gambling company thing where you do the commercials for him and stuff, and that shouldn’t work in the NCAA, you know,” he said.
What Kiffin is referring to is NCAA NIL rules that allow college athletes to earn money. Under the rules, athletes can sign endorsement deals and still play sports while building a brand with their name, image and likeness (NIL). However, they cannot promote gambling, alcohol, or tobacco. So, with Toosii’s reported partnership with a gambling company, he violates NCAA compliance rules, and therefore, can’t play at the collegiate level.
Nevertheless, Kiffin said Toosii was a promising talent during his short stint on the team, and insisted that it wasn’t a publicity stunt.
“I really enjoyed being around him. It wasn’t a stunt at all,” he said. “He really wanted to see if he could do it.”
XXL has reached out to Toosii’s rep for comment.
Watch LSU Football Coach Lane Kiffin Explain Why Toosii Left the Team at the 21-Minute Mark
See What Every XXL Freshman Class Has Brought to Hip-Hop
What’s your favorite Freshman Class?