After torching defenses for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns, former LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels earned himself the greatest honor for a college football quarterback—the Heisman Trophy. When he decided to go pro, he made a clear request to his alma mater: don’t give his No. 5 jersey to someone else once he’s gone. But that’s exactly what happened when he found out sophomore cornerback DJ Pickett was taking his old number. What followed next has shifted LSU’s headlines away from football, started a blame game, and pushed Daniels to ask LSU to make a big sacrifice.

Daniels couldn’t do anything about his jersey number because it was never retired. So, he hired attorney Adam Kenner, Esq., and slapped LSU with a cease-and-desist regarding his NIL. But that was only the beginning. Per Louisiana Sports’ Matt Moscona, Daniels doesn’t want LSU to have his Heisman Trophy anymore.

“Daniels’ camp also requested LSU return its copy of the Heisman Trophy Daniels won in 2023,” writes Moscona. “LSU has no intention of doing so, and is undecided to what degree it will comply with the cease and desist, noting it is not a legally binding document.”

Now, the trophy, in all its glory, belongs to Daniels. But he won it playing for the Tigers, so LSU does have a claim to the copy of the trophy. He cannot stop Pickett from wearing the number—it was one of the conditions for signing with LSU in December 2024. So, this is Daniels’ way of getting back at his college for the jersey snub.

Per LSU policies on jersey retirements, a player must wait for five years after they last played for the Tigers. During their time in Baton Rouge, if the player has “truly unusual and outstanding accomplishments,” they can discuss retiring their jersey. Daniels spent two seasons with the Tigers (2022 – 2023).

As for the cease-and-desist, Kenner notes in his letter to Tigers athletic director Verge Ausberry that LSU could use Daniels’ name, image, and likeness for only 180 days after he left the program, per Daniels’ contract. Even if LSU says it’s not a binding document, Kenner promises strict action if they don’t comply.

“LSU must immediately cease and desist from any further issue, use, display, publication, distribution, promotion, commercialization, or other exploitation of Mr. Daniels’ NIL in any manner or medium,” Kenner wrote in his cease and desist notice to Ausberry. “Any use of Mr. Daniels’ NIL occurring after LSU’s receipt of this notice will be deemed knowing and willful and will be pursued vigorously through all available legal and equitable remedies, without further notice.”

As this drama unfolds, Daniels’ old head coach Brian Kelly and LSU’s new head coach Lane Kiffin find themselves on opposite ends of the argument.

Kelly knew Daniels didn’t want his jersey number to be passed on to somebody else. Former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow’s No. 9 has remained untouched since he left for the NFL in 2020. So even when Pickett demanded No. 5 in his freshman year, Kelly didn’t budge.

“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.”

Now, Kiffin made no promises to Daniels. When asked about the jersey question at his introductory press conference, Kiffin made clear it was never his decision. LSU apparently made a commitment to Pickett that should be honored.

“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.

For Lane Kiffin, the case is clear. He’s upholding what LSU had promised DJ Pickett two years before he became the head coach. As for Brian Kelly, he respected the request of the quarterback who brought LSU its third Heisman.