It appears that former LSU quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels no longer wants to be associated with the school in any capacity.
An attorney for the current NFL starting QB of the Washington Commanders sent a cease-and-desist letter to the LSU athletic department demanding that the college no longer use his name, image and likeness (NIL).
The Aug. 5 letter was first reported by ESPN late Wednesday night; Daniels also wants LSU to return its copy of the Heisman Trophy he won in 2023, according to a LouisianaSports.Net report released on Thursday.
Daniels and his management team, led by his mother and certified agent Regina Jackson, are upset with the LSU football program, in part, because of a dispute over a current LSU cornerback DJ Pickett wearing the No. 5 that Daniels used to wear on his college jersey.
“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 Daniels 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.”
Pickett, a top recruit before joining LSU last year, was promised by the former staff under ex-head coach Brian Kelly that he would be able to wear No. 5. However, Pickett wore No. 3 as a freshman because Kelly, who coached Daniels during his stint at LSU, did not get the blessing of his former quarterback to let Pickett wear it.
Kelly was fired prior to the end of last season, and new Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin felt compelled to honor the original pledge made to Pickett during the cornerback’s 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. It wasn’t done for whatever [reason]. I’m not going to get into that.”
“I’m not going to judge something [that was done] when I wasn’t here. 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.”
LSU has four football numbers retired, but just one, the No. 20 of former player Billy Cannon, is not allowed to be worn again by another player. That is in line with LSU athletic department policy, which states that any jersey 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.”
Former quarterback Robert Griffin III, who like Daniels won the Heisman Trophy in college and became a first-round pick of Washington in the NFL, criticized the timing of Daniels’ feud with LSU. Griffin, now a sports commentator, called it a “colossal mistake” that could turn into a distraction ahead of the upcoming NFL season.
Daniels’ contract with LSU permitted the school to use his name, image and likeness for 180 days beyond his final game in college, per ESPN.
It is unclear how this situation will impact Daniels in the eyes of the LSU fan base, or if he even cares, but some negative reaction bubbled up on social media.
“This is getting more petty by the hour,” X user and LSU fan @xA_R_E_Sx wrote. “Let’s look through (Daniels’) eyes for a second. What’s the end goal? Taking 5 off Pickett and retiring the number? Ok…you still just burned all bridges in Louisiana.”
Daniels’ perceived reputation aside, Darren Heitner, an attorney who works with multiple current college athletes to negotiate NIL contracts, believes the dispute between Daniels and LSU is unlikely to result in any serious litigation.
“No court is going to require LSU erase Daniels from its institutional history,” Heitner wrote on Thursday.
“Recounting his participation in LSU’s history is protected speech about a matter of legitimate public interest, not commercial appropriation, even when the institution profits indirectly from the broader publication or broadcast in which that information appears. It’s historical/archival use. It’s truthful and newsworthy.”
“However, if LSU were to actively, commercially exploit Daniels’ NIL in a way that suggests he is currently promoting LSU merch, tickets, fundraising campaigns, or a specific product, then that could create problems for the school,” Heitner continued. “There are no concerns, in my mind, unless/until that occurs and I’m confident LSU lawyers won’t allow that to happen.”
Daniels chimed in with another statement on his Instagram story Thursday afternoon, indicating optimism about a resolution between his team and LSU.
“I have been locked in on training camp and that’s been my number one focus,” Daniels wrote. “I have a lot of gratitude for my time at LSU and I’m proud of what my teammates and I accomplished there.
“Obviously there are issues to be worked out between my team and LSU and my hope is that it will get done privately. My sole personal focus is on Commanders’ football. I realize the business of football is unique and I trust this can all be resolved.”
