Before D.J. Pickett ever ran onto the field for LSU's first practice, the jersey number on his back had already become a problem. Former Tigers QB Jayden Daniels heard No. 5 might get handed to a current player and made his opposition clear beforehand. At LSU, tradition holds that current players don't wear the numbers worn by the program's Heisman Trophy winners. Lane Kiffin, in his first year on the job, decided to break that tradition anyway.
Yesterday morning, Daniels' attorney sent a cease-and-desist letter to LSU AD Verge Ausberry demanding the school stop using Daniels' name, image, and likeness in any capacity going forward.
In the hours after, a media storm ensued. Pickett and his father both responded, and it doesn't appear the sophomore CB plans to change jersey numbers anytime soon.
Kiffin has framed the decision as one he inherited, saying the number was promised to Pickett under former coach Brian Kelly and that he did his own research with the family before honoring that commitment. Kelly, now working as a CBS analyst, told ESPN he never intended to issue one Heisman winner's number without also freeing up Joe Burrow's No. 9.
Whether this turns into a lasting headache for Kiffin or fades into a forgettable footnote has nothing to do with jersey numbers. Andy Staples breaks down why the outcome of this standoff, and Kiffin's standing at LSU more broadly, will ultimately be decided by his win-loss record, not by who's wearing No. 5.
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