DJ Pickett Speaks on The Controversy of His No. 5 Jersey

LSU head coach Lane Kiffin believes a promise should be kept.

Sophomore cornerback DJ Pickett is set for a breakout year as he fully takes over a starting position. Last year, in Brian Kelly's final year as coach, Pickett wore No. 3 for the first time. The No. 5 still hadn't been worn since quarterback Jayden Daniels won the Heisman Trophy in 2023.

"DJ is in five, and that was a situation that was promised to him in recruiting [him] here, for him to sign here," Kiffin said after the first fall practice. "When the kid's promised something to come to school, he should wear it."

That same day, according to EPSN, an attorney representing Daniels informed LSU that he was prohibiting the university from using his name, image and likeness because of the decision.

"The Daniels family is deeply disappointed and feels profoundly disrespected by LSU's decision to give Jayden's number to another player," the statement from Daniels' spokesperson said.

The fall back onto Pickett

Jayden Daniels stands during 2026 training camp | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Daniels' decision has put Pickett and Kiffin in an uncomfortable position. Because of a promise that was made and not kept by a former coach, who was Daniels' coach at LSU, Kiffin righted a wrong.

After Thursday's practice, Pickett was set to speak with the media. He opened with a brief statement about the drama, indicating he is right where he wants to be.

"I wore the number my whole life, since I was four years old," Pickett said. "It's a number I was promised. I wish Jayden the best. Good player, did real good here. So, that's all."

The brevity of Pickett's statement showed that it is a business deal to him. He was told he would receive the number, and eventually did. But Daniels is still taking it out on the university.

From a report by ESPN 104.5 FM Radio's Matt Moscona, Daniels and his camp have requested the Heisman Trophy that LSU possesses in its football operations facility. Two trophies are made each year, one for the recipient and one for the university, so Daniels already has his own.

Daniels' trophy at LSU was still showcased as of Thursday afternoon.

Daniels then took to Instagram Thursday to address the controversy, seemingly saying that he hasn't been too involved in the legal aspect of the situation.

"I have been locked in on training camp and that's been my number one focus. I have a lot of gratitude for LSU and I'm proud of what my teammates and I accomplished there," Daniels said in the statement."

The drama isn't close to over, as LSU has an unclear approach to how retired a number actually is. Bert Jones' No. 7 will be the fifth jersey to be retired at LSU in November. But only one number is retired: Billy Cannon's No. 20.

While Daniels and fellow Heisman winning quarterback Joe Burrow will likely have statues and their names on the facade of Tiger Stadium at some point, their numbers are not retired. But, No. 9 still hasn't been worn since Burrow left LSU a national champion.

Daniels' decision has received plenty of pushback from LSU fans already. There is still a ways to go.

"Obviously there are issues to be worked out between my team and LSU and my hope is that it will get done privately," Daniels said.

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