LSU’s decision to hand Jayden Daniels’ old No. 5 to another player has turned into a very public standoff, and Daniels is making his point the old-fashioned way: with a cease-and-desist letter.
The Commanders quarterback sent the letter to LSU on Aug. 5, asking the school to stop using his name, image and likeness after the program gave his number to sophomore cornerback DJ Pickett this summer. No. 5 was never retired for Daniels, but in his camp’s view, the number was supposed to remain tied to what he did in Baton Rouge.
“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. “Jayden and his family had every reason to believe that his number would remain a meaningful part of his LSU legacy and would be honored and protected in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to the university.”
The statement continued, saying LSU’s move “feels like a failure to honor the significance of what Jayden accomplished at LSU,” and adding, “Jayden made it clear he did not want his number given to another player.”
Brian Kelly, who recruited Pickett, told ESPN that the number had been promised to the cornerback, but he held off after Daniels objected.
“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.”
That No. 9 belongs to Joe Burrow, whose number also isn’t retired, though LSU hasn’t handed it out since his 2019 national championship season.
Pickett, meanwhile, arrived at LSU as a major recruit. He was a five-star cornerback in the class of 2025 and ranked No. 24 overall by 247 Sports.
He committed to the Tigers in 2024, when Kelly was entering his third season in charge. Pickett played as a true freshman, finished with three interceptions and remained with the program after Kiffin replaced Kelly.
Daniels’ attachment to No. 5 runs deep. He wore it at Arizona State, LSU and in high school, and he still wears it with the Commanders.
His college path, though, was a little more complicated than the number suggests. Daniels flashed at Arizona State in 2019, then didn’t fully regain that level until he transferred to LSU after the 2021 season. He posted a strong first year with the Tigers before erupting in 2023 for 50 total touchdowns and only four interceptions.
Here’s a look at his college production:
2019 Arizona State - 60.7% completion rate, 2,943 passing yards, 17 passing TDs, 2 INTs, 355 rushing yards, 3 rushing TDs
2020 Arizona State - 58.3%, 701 yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT, 223 rushing yards, 4 rushing TDs
2021 Arizona State - 65.4%, 2,380 yards, 10 TDs, 10 INTs, 710 rushing yards, 6 rushing TDs
2022 LSU - 68.6%, 2,913 yards, 17 TDs, 3 INTs, 885 rushing yards, 11 rushing TDs
2023 LSU - 72.2%, 3,812 yards, 40 TDs, 4 INTs, 1,134 rushing yards, 10 rushing TDs
Career - 66.3%, 12,749 yards, 89 TDs, 20 INTs, 3,307 rushing yards, 34 rushing TDs
The comparison with Burrow is where things get tricky. Burrow delivered LSU a national championship and one of the greatest seasons in college football history. Daniels, for all his brilliance, was 9-3 as a starter during his Heisman season, and LSU missed the College Football Playoff.
The Tigers also went 10-4 in Daniels’ first season, which meant they were never truly in the playoff hunt late in either year he spent in Baton Rouge. LSU’s losses to Florida State and Ole Miss in the four-team playoff era knocked the Tigers out of title contention by the end of September in 2023.
LSU has retired only four numbers: No. 4 for Charles Alexander, No. 20 for Billy Cannon, No. 21 for Jerry Stovall and No. 37 for Tommy Casanova.
Even with all the star power the program has produced - Odell Beckham Jr., Leonard Fournette, Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and Joe Burrow among them - no LSU player under the age of 69 has had his number retired.
Daniels is one of three Heisman winners in LSU history. Cannon was the first and has his number retired, while Burrow was the second and is widely expected to get that treatment someday. Burrow’s No. 9 isn’t retired yet, but LSU hasn’t used it since 2019.