DJ Pickett has spent the fall doing the simplest thing possible: playing football and letting the noise fade.
That’s been no small task. In August, he was pulled into a jersey-number dispute that drew national attention, all because he switched to No. 5 after wearing No. 3 as a freshman. But while the outside world argued over the number, Pickett kept moving forward for LSU.
The whole situation started on Aug. 5, when former LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels sent a cease-and-desist letter to LSU over the school’s decision to let Pickett wear his old No. 5. The letter asked LSU to stop using Daniels’ name, image and likeness, and said the Daniels family was “deeply disappointed and feels profoundly disrespected by LSU's decision to give Jayden's number to another player.”
LSU didn’t change course. Pickett kept the number, and Daniels’ name and image still show up on the Tiger Stadium jumbotron on game days. These days, when LSU fans see the former Heisman Trophy winner on the big screen, boos come down from the stands.
Pickett, though, has stayed out of the drama. He said he was promised the number when he committed out of high school, and the switch back to No. 5 felt right to him.
“I felt good. I felt like my old self,” Pickett told The Advocate when asked what it felt like to wear the No. 5 again.
“I’ve been wearing the number since I was four. Three was a good number, but now that I’m in five, I just feel like it’s me.”
He leaned on his family through the strange stretch, and eight games into his sophomore season, the on-field results have matched the confidence.
Pickett has allowed just 17 catches for 137 yards and no touchdowns on 275 plays in coverage, according to Pro Football Focus. He also has an interception, four pass breakups and 25 tackles.
That tackle number stands out. A year ago, he had 33 tackles and had trouble handling the SEC’s physical edge.
This season, he looks different - stronger, sturdier and more willing to throw his weight around. He’s delivered big hits against Auburn and Mississippi State in recent weeks.
Lane Kiffin pushed him to become more physical, and Pickett said he made that a personal priority too.
“Lifting weights and the play strength that I have on the field (improved),” he said. “Last year, a lot of guys were, you could just tell, they were a little stronger than me. But now, this year, it’s easier.”
His teammates have noticed the change. TJ Dottery said Pickett handled the number controversy exactly the way he expected.
“He responded exactly how I thought he would,” Dottery said. “He didn’t respond at all. He just showed up, continued to play every day in practice and on Saturdays.”
Ty Benefield said he didn’t even know what the controversy was about.
“What happened with five?” Benefield said. “Yeah, I actually didn’t know about that.”
Benefield has seen the more physical version of Pickett show up week after week, even as the season wears on.
“Just as he's progressed throughout the year, I see he's getting more physical,” Benefield said. “Which is funny because you get into November football and usually people's bodies are hurting. But with DJ, he's getting bigger hits throughout each week.”
LSU still needs at least three wins in its final four games to reach the College Football Playoff, and Pickett’s next test comes Saturday against Alabama at 2:30 p.m. on ABC. But the number story is in the rearview now, and Pickett has made sure it stays there.
“I’m proud of how he’s improved as a guy who's only played the position for a couple of years,” Kiffin said. “And he’s got a really bright future ahead of him of improving more.”
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