Jayden Daniels is taking issue with LSU’s decision to give his No. 5 jersey to cornerback DJ Pickett. An attorney representing the Washington Commanders quarterback sent LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry a cease-and-desist letter on Aug. 5, informing the school that it is no longer authorized to use Daniels’ name, image and likeness, according to a copy of the letter obtained by ESPN.
CBS Sports reached out to Daniels’ attorney, Adam Kenner, for comment Thursday, but had not received a response.
The letter, according to ESPN, cites Daniels’ LSU NIL agreement, which allowed the school to use his name, image and likeness for 180 days after his final college game. Kenner wrote that LSU must “immediately cease and desist” from any further use or exploitation of Daniels’ NIL.
“I have a lot of gratitude for my time at LSU and I’m proud of what my teammates and I accomplished there,” Daniels wrote in an Instagram post on Thursday afternoon. “Obviously there are issues to be worked out between my team and LSU and my hope is that it will get done privately.”
Daniels’ representatives said the former LSU quarterback and his family believed No. 5 would remain part of his legacy after he became the third Heisman Trophy winner in school history in 2023.
“The Daniels family is deeply disappointed and feels profoundly disrespected by LSU’s decision to give Jayden’s number to another player,” a spokesperson for the Daniels family told 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.”
Daniels’ No. 5 had not been worn by another LSU player since his departure for the NFL. The number, however, has never officially been retired.
Pickett wore No. 3 as a freshman last season, when he earned freshman All-American honors after recording three interceptions. LSU coach Lane Kiffin said Aug. 5 that Pickett had been promised No. 5 during his recruitment under former coach Brian Kelly.
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“When a kid is promised something to come to a school, he should wear it,” Kiffin said.
Kelly confirmed to ESPN that Pickett had been promised the number but said he chose not to give it to him while Daniels was at LSU because he did not want to issue No. 5 without Daniels’ approval. Kelly also pointed to LSU’s treatment of Joe Burrow’s No. 9, which has not been worn since Burrow’s Heisman Trophy-winning 2019 season.
‘I wore the number my whole life, since I was 4 years old. It was the number I was promised,” Pickett told reporters Thursday. “I wish Jayden the best. Good player, and he did real good here.”
Daniels transferred to LSU from Arizona State and had one of the most productive seasons in school history in 2023, passing for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns while rushing for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns. He won the Heisman Trophy before becoming the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Daniels faces immediate backlash
The reaction to Daniels’ decision was not particularly sympathetic. Even with the former LSU quarterback’s immense popularity among the school’s fan base, the optics of sending a cease-and-desist letter over his old jersey number have made it easy for critics to paint the move as unnecessarily combative.
It remains to be seen how much of the backlash actually sticks. Daniels is still widely appreciated by LSU fans, who remember his remarkable 2023 season and the way he elevated the program. Some of the blowback has included questions about the role of his mother, Regina Jackson, who also serves as his agent and has been a prominent presence throughout his career.
Daniels has enough goodwill with LSU supporters that this episode alone is unlikely to erase his legacy. But if the dispute continues to escalate, rather than ending with the cease-and-desist letter, it could become a far more lasting blemish on the relationship between Daniels and the school that helped make him a star.
