One of the appeals for Lane Kiffin in leaving Ole Miss for LSU was the opportunity to coach at a program with a rich history of national championships and Heisman Trophy winners.
But with that history comes a delicate question: How should LSU handle the legacies of its Heisman winners?
According to a story first reported by ESPN, former LSU quarterback and 2023 Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels has sent a cease-and-desist letter to LSU Athletics Director Verge Ausberry, asking the school to stop using his name, image and likeness in connection with the No. 5 jersey.
The issue stems from sophomore cornerback D.J. Pickett wearing No. 5 this season after wearing No. 3 as a freshman.
“The Daniels family is deeply disappointed and feels profoundly disrespected by LSU's decision to give Jayden's number to another player,” a statement from Daniels' spokesperson said. “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.”
Kiffin addressed Pickett's jersey number last week, explaining that the number had been promised to the highly regarded cornerback during his recruitment.
“DJ is in No. 5, and that was a situation that was promised to him in recruiting here, for him to sign here,” Kiffin said. “I've done a lot of research on that with the family and the representatives and the people, so really I didn't have a decision to make. It was promised to the kid.”
Kiffin said he did not want to second-guess a decision that was made before he arrived at LSU.
“I’m not going to judge something that was done when I wasn’t here,” Kiffin said. “But when a kid is promised something to come to a school, he should wear it. So at that point, I don’t think that’s really my decision. We should honor what he was told.”
Daniels' representatives say he had previously made his wishes known that No. 5 would not be given to another player.
“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 to ESPN said. “His Heisman Trophy-winning season and everything he accomplished on and off the field cemented his place in LSU history.”
The statement added that seeing another player wear No. 5 “feels like a failure to honor the significance of what Jayden accomplished at LSU.”
LSU has declined to comment on the report. Kiffin is scheduled to speak with reporters later Thursday.
ESPN also reached out to former LSU coach Brian Kelly, who said he knew Pickett had been promised No. 5 during his recruitment but was not comfortable giving him the number while Kelly was coach.
“I just wasn't prepared to do it until we got a full commitment from another Heisman Trophy winner,” Kelly told ESPN. “We didn't want to issue No. 9, so you can't treat one differently from the other.”
That distinction is significant because LSU has not issued No. 9 since Joe Burrow's record-setting 2019 national championship season.
LSU's jersey policy also gives the school discretion when it comes to retired numbers. According to the athletic department's official policy, any number retired after Jan. 1, 2007, “does not preclude a current student-athlete in that sport from wearing the jersey number in that or any other sport, subject to the discretion of the head coach.”
LSU has only completely withheld one number from current players: No. 20, worn by the late Billy Cannon, the Tigers' first Heisman Trophy winner in 1959.
The school has officially retired the jerseys of three other former players: defensive back Tommy Casanova's No. 37, halfback Jerry Stovall's No. 21 and running back Charles Alexander's No. 4.
LSU is also scheduled to retire the No. 7 jersey of former quarterback Bert Jones during a ceremony Nov. 14.
Daniels won the Heisman Trophy in 2023 after one of the most prolific seasons in LSU history. He threw for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns while rushing for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns, leading the Tigers to a 10-3 record.
The Washington Commanders selected Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He is preparing for his third NFL season after being named the league's Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2024. Daniels is looking to rebound from an injury-plagued 2025 season.
