Jayden Daniels is taking some legal action against his alma mater.
An attorney representing the Washington Commanders quarterback Daniels has sent a cease-and-desist letter to LSU, informing them that they can no longer use Daniels’ name, image, and likeness. Mark Schlabach of ESPN reports that the letter, which was sent to LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry, stems from unhappiness over the Tigers’ decision to give Daniels’ old No. 5 to current sophomore cornerback DJ Pickett.
“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 in a statement to 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 25-year-old NFL Pro Bowler Daniels wore No. 5 all throughout his time in college at LSU (and still continues to do so at the pro level with the Commanders). Though Daniels only spent two total seasons with the Tigers after transferring from Arizona State, he was the school’s most recent Heisman Trophy winner in 2023 and also led the team to back-to-back 10-win seasons.
Meanwhile, Pickett (a freshman All-American last season) had 37 combined tackles, three interceptions, and 2.0 sacks for LSU and wore No. 3 during the year. But when the Tigers kicked off their preseason practice last week, Pickett was spotted wearing the No. 5, which has not officially been retired in honor of Daniels but had yet to be worn by another LSU player ever since his departure.
Schlabach adds that Daniels feels he is being treated differently than his fellow Heisman-winning LSU predecessor Joe Burrow, whose No. 9 jersey has not been issued by the Tigers since. Interestingly enough, Daniels also had some light drama with the No. 5 jersey prior to his debut in the NFL.
