Jayden Daniels’ bizarre LSU beef is petty and sad at the same time

Jayden Daniels’ run to the Heisman Trophy with the LSU Tigers in 2023 was one of the most electric quarterback seasons in the recent history of college football. Daniels threw for 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns, and only four interceptions in 12 games as LSU finished 10-3 with a win in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

Now Daniels is beefing with his former college program after they gave away his No. 5 to a player on this year’s team. That’s just the start of it.

Daniels’ lawyers sent LSU a cease-and-desist saying it can no longer use his name, image and likeness, according to ESPN. Daniels’ camp issued a statement saying his family is “deeply disappointed and feels profoundly disrespected” by the Tigers’ decision to give No. 5 to 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,” the 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.”

At the crux of Daniels’ frustration seems to be the way LSU treats Joe Burrow’s legacy compared to his. No LSU player has worn Burrow’s No. 9 since he left campus. Burrow won the 2019 Heisman Trophy and led the Tigers to the national championship. While Daniels bested Burrow’s ridiculous numbers, his team finished only 10-3 and capped the year with a win in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

Neither Burrow or Daniels’ number is retired by LSU, and school policy states that a player must have “completed competition for five years before being nominated for jersey retirement.”

In another strange twist, LSU beat reporter Matt Moscona reported that Daniels requested LSU return its copy of his Heisman Trophy. Moscona noted that Daniels “personally reached out to LSU leadership” to express his displeasure, and that the school is still deciding how to handle it.

Here’s the letter from Daniels’ attorney:

Former LSU star and former ESPN talking head Ryan Clark said that Daniels’ camp understands that his number is not retired at LSU, and they haven’t asked for it to be retired.

Pickett wore No. 3 at LSU as a freshman. New Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin said Pickett was promised No. 5 on the recruiting trail by former head coach Brian Kelly. Kelly stated that he didn’t give Pickett No. 5 last season because Daniels was uncomfortable with it. On Pickett getting No. 5 this year, Kiffin said: “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.”

Pickett’s father responded on Thursday in an interview with The Advocate, and said his son will not be changing his number. “This right here makes us want to wear the number more,” he said. An assistant coach tweeted this photo with Pickett on Thursday:

It’s clear that Daniels feels like he’s being disrespected compared to Burrow. He also doesn’t have a legal leg to stand on here. This statement from Daniels’ camp feels totally out of touch.

“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.”

Burrow helped lead LSU to its first national championship of the playoff era. Daniels’ numbers might be slightly better on a spreadsheet, but it doesn’t hit the same when his team lost to Florida State, Ole Miss, and Alabama during the season. It doesn’t help that Daniels had something of a sophomore slump in the NFL last year with the Washington Commanders after a brilliant rookie season. Daniels looked like the best QB from the 2024 draft class after his first year, but going into this season, Drake Maye and Caleb Williams have surpassed him in rankings by most major publications.

Daniels needs to worry about creating his own NFL legacy, and stop holding onto his college days so closely. Anyone who watched Daniels at LSU knows how great he was. It’s ridiculous to think he has ownership over a number for a college football program that has existed for more than 130 years when he was only on campus for two years. If he can have the same success with the Commanders, it’s likely no one in Washington will ever wear his No. 5 again.