Jayden Daniels is really, really bad at LSU.
A day after it was reported that the Washington Commanders signal caller was unhappy with LSU allowing a player to wear his No. 5 jersey, Louisiana Sports reports that Daniels has also asked for LSU to “return its copy of the Heisman Trophy Daniels won in 2023.”
LSU reportedly has no plans to do so.
Daniels transferred to LSU in 2022 when Brian Kelly was the Tigers’s head coach. He won the Heisman trophy in 2023, throwing for 40 touchdowns and rushing for another 10 touchdowns while compiling nearly 5,000 total yards in 12 games. The Tigers went 10-3 that season and Daniels was the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
When LSU and Kelly signed cornerback DJ Pickett in 2025, the now-sophomore wanted to wear No. 5. He wore No. 3 last season, as Kelly kept the No. 5 jersey out of circulation out of respect to Daniels.
But with Kelly fired during the 2025 season and Lane Kiffin now in charge at LSU, Pickett’s request to wear the No. 5 jersey was granted for the 2026 season. That has rankled Daniels so much that he sent LSU a cease and desist to stop using his name, image and likeness.
A statement from Daniels’ family said the quarterback feels “profoundly disrespected” that Pickett is wearing No. 5.
When asked about the number issue Thursday, Pickett said he’d been wearing the No. 5 his whole life and wished Daniels well.
In a statement posted to social media on Thursday afternoon, Daniels admitted there were “issues to be worked out between my 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.”
The saga seems to be getting worse and worse.
