Jayden Daniels Feels "Disrespected" That LSU Gave No. 5 to DJ Pickett

Jayden Daniels' legacy with the LSU Tigers football program has taken an interesting turn.

The Washington Commanders quarterback and former LSU star has filed a cease-and-desist to the university that centers around Tigers cornerback DJ Pickett wearing the No. 5 jersey, the number that Daniels wore when he won the Heisman Trophy at LSU during the 2023 season. ESPN was first to report.

This means that LSU can no longer use Daniels' name, image and likeness, or will face legal action.

Jayden Daniels' Family "Deeply Disappointed" With LSU

In a statement to ESPN, Daniels' family made it clear that the decision to give No. 5 Pickett shows a lack of respect for what he did at LSU when he became the program's third-ever Heisman winner.

"The Daniels family is deeply disappointed and feels profoundly disrespected by LSU's decision to give Jayden's number to another player," Daniels' spokesperson told ESPN in a statement. "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."

"Jayden made it clear that he did not want his number given to another player, and he believed his wishes would be respected," the statement said. "His Heisman Trophy-winning season and everything he accomplished on and off the field cemented his place in LSU history. To see his number given to another player is incredibly disappointing and feels like a failure to honor the significance of what Jayden accomplished at LSU."

What Does This Mean for DJ Pickett?

It now begs the question: If Pickett wears No. 5 during the 2026 season, could it actually lead to a lawsuit with LSU by Daniels' legal team? Pickett previously wore No. 3 last year before changing numbers this offseason.

No LSU player has worn No. 5 since then. The Tigers currently have four numbers "retired" -- No. 20, No. 21, No. 37 and No. 4 -- though Billy Cannon's No. 20 is the only number in the football program that is retired forever.

LSU is set to make former quarterback Burt Jones' No. 7 the fifth "retired" number in the program's history this November when the Tigers host Texas in Baton Rouge.

Despite the cease-and-desist, the standard regarding "retired" jersey numbers at LSU has already been established. It will be interesting to see if LSU uses this argument against Daniels in response.

Jayden Daniels' LSU Career

Daniels started off his college career at Arizona State, playing three seasons for the Sun Devils before transferring to LSU before the 2022 season.

He had a productive first year in Baton Rouge, but no one expected that he would put together one of the best individual seasons in college football history in 2023.

En route to winning the Heisman Trophy, Daniels went 236 of 327 passing for 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns and four interceptions while adding 135 carries for 1,134 yards and 10 more scores on the ground.

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