LSU gave away Jayden Daniels’ No. 5 jersey to sophomore cornerback DJ Pickett this summer. The Washington Commanders quarterback isn’t happy about it.
Daniels sent a cease-and-desist letter to LSU on Aug. 5. He’s demanding the university stop using his name, image and likeness after handing out his number to another player.
“The Daniels family is deeply disappointed and feels profoundly disrespected by LSU’s decision to give Jayden’s number to another player,” Daniels’ spokesperson said, as reported by ESPN.
The statement claims Daniels and his family expected his number would remain part of his LSU legacy. They believed it would be honored because of his contributions to the university.
Daniels won the Heisman Trophy in 2023 while wearing No. 5 for the Tigers.
The spokesperson added that LSU’s decision “feels like a failure to honor the significance of what Jayden accomplished at LSU.” The statement says Daniels made it clear he didn’t want his number given to another player.
New Era at LSU
LSU hired a new head coach, athletic director and president in 2025. Lane Kiffin replaced Brian Kelly, who had recruited Pickett to the program.
Kelly confirmed to ESPN that the number was promised to Pickett. But he said he held off on giving him No. 5 because of Daniels’ objection.
“I just wasn’t prepared to do it until we got a full commitment from another Heisman Trophy winner,” Kelly said. “We didn’t want to issue No. 9, so you can’t treat one differently from the other.”
No. 9 refers to Joe Burrow’s number. It isn’t retired but hasn’t been worn at LSU since the quarterback’s national championship season in 2019.
Who is DJ Pickett?
Pickett was a five-star cornerback in the class of 2025. He ranked as the No. 24 player in the class, according to 247 Sports.
He committed to the Tigers in 2024 during Kelly’s third year at LSU. Pickett saw playing time as a true freshman, finishing the season with three interceptions.
The cornerback stuck with the program after Kiffin replaced Kelly.
Daniels’ College Career
Daniels wore No. 5 at both Arizona State and LSU. He also wore it in high school and wears it now with the Commanders.
The quarterback has a career attachment to the number.
| Season | School | Comp. rate | Yards | TD | INT | Rush yards | Rush TD |
| 2019 | Arizona State | 60.7% | 2,943 | 17 | 2 | 355 | 3 |
| 2020 | Arizona State | 58.3% | 701 | 5 | 1 | 223 | 4 |
| 2021 | Arizona State | 65.4% | 2,380 | 10 | 10 | 710 | 6 |
| 2022 | LSU | 68.6% | 2,913 | 17 | 3 | 885 | 11 |
| 2023 | LSU | 72.2% | 3,812 | 40 | 4 | 1,134 | 10 |
| Career | 66.3% | 12,749 | 89 | 20 | 3,307 | 34 |
Daniels looked like one of the best young quarterbacks in the country at Arizona State in 2019. But he didn’t rediscover that momentum until transferring to LSU after the 2021 season.
After a solid first season with the Tigers, Daniels put up 50 total touchdowns to just four interceptions in his Heisman season.
Championship Comparisons
The comparisons between Burrow and Daniels get complicated here. Burrow won a national championship at LSU, leading one of the greatest seasons in college football history as the Tigers went undefeated.
Daniels went 9-3 as a starter during his Heisman Trophy season. LSU failed to make the College Football Playoff.
Daniels was one of the most electrifying players in the country in 2023. But LSU’s problems ran much deeper than one player.
The Tigers took themselves out of title contention by the end of September. They lost to Florida State and Ole Miss in the four-team playoff era.
LSU went 10-4 in Daniels’ first season. The Tigers were never legitimate playoff contenders late in the year in either of his two seasons with the program.
LSU’s Retired Numbers
LSU has retired four numbers in its history:
• No. 4 (Charles Alexander)
• No. 20 (Billy Cannon)
• No. 21 (Jerry Stovall)
• No. 37 (Tommy Casanova)
The Tigers have had numerous stars in recent history. Odell Beckham Jr., Leonard Fournette, Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson all played for LSU.
But no one under the age of 69 has their number retired by the program.
Daniels is one of three Heisman winners in program history. Cannon was the first and has his number retired. Burrow was the second and figures to one day have his number retired.
Burrow’s Number Status
Burrow’s number isn’t retired by LSU. But No. 9 hasn’t been given out since he last played for the Tigers in 2019.
At some point in the future, Burrow can likely expect to celebrate a formal number retirement. He won a national championship for Baton Rouge.
