It has been three years since Jayden Daniels left Baton Rouge, but it looks like he is not yet over his LSU Tigers chapter. So much so that he sent his college a cease-and-desist letter after the Tigers issued the jersey number Daniels wore there to another player, prompting radio host Adam Schein to draw comparisons with another LSU great, Joe Burrow.
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“Amateur hour!” said Schein on the Mad Dog Sports Radio podcast on August 17. “Think about all the players in college history, you can’t retire uniform numbers. That’s number one. Number two, you’re not Joe Burrow.
“Let’s be crystal. And I love Jayden Daniels in college. I love him as a pro. You’re not even close to Joe Burrow. You’re not even in the ballpark of Joe Burrow. That LSU offense was the best offense in the history of college football.”
Daniels’ attorney sent a cease-and-desist letter to LSU vice president and athletic director Verge Ausberry on August 5. The back-and-forth surrounded the No. 5 jersey that Daniels wore as a Tiger that Lane Kiffin gave to sophomore cornerback DJ Pickett this year.
LSU requires a player to be at least five years removed from college competition before the school can officially retire their jersey. Since Daniels played his final college season in 2023, he isn’t yet eligible under that rule.
The Joe Burrow comparison arrives after what the former LSU quarterback brought to the table before he played his last season in college in 2019. Despite winning the Heisman Trophy after the 2019 season, Burrow has not had his LSU jersey officially retired, although the school has not issued his number to another player. Burrow and the Tigers went undefeated and captured the national title that season.
Burrow led LSU to a historic 15-0 season in 2019, making the Tigers just the second team in the modern era to accomplish the feat. They also set an NCAA record with seven wins over Top-10 opponents while leading the nation in scoring and total offense. As the jersey drama continues, Burrow broke his silence on the situation.
“I don’t know too much about it. I just heard about it a couple hours ago,” Burrow said. “I don’t necessarily have too many thoughts at this time. I don’t know enough about the situation to have any thoughts, I would say … They told me that they wouldn’t use it again, but you never know what happens.”
Meanwhile, the Daniels family continues to make a stronger push for the Washington Commanders quarterback. After all, his 2023 campaign earned him the Heisman Trophy despite LSU missing out on the national title. He also earned AP Player of the Year, SEC Offensive Player of the Year, among other honors.
“The Daniels family is deeply disappointed and feels profoundly disrespected by LSU’s decision to give Jayden’s number to another player,” 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.”
Amid this drama, Daniels made clear that he would not allow this to affect his focus during the training camp. But he, too, is looking to get ahead of this drama.