DJ Pickett's Dad Just Sent Jayden Daniels A Message Nobody Expected
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Damien Pickett wants the jersey number drama between his son and Jayden Daniels to disappear. LSU doesn't appear interested in making that happen anytime soon.
DJ Pickett, LSU's sophomore cornerback, has switched from No. 3 to No. 5. It's the same number Daniels wore during his Heisman-winning 2023 campaign.
Daniels responded by having an attorney send LSU a cease-and-desist letter on Aug. 5, informing the school it could no longer use his name, image and likeness.
His camp also requested LSU return its copy of his Heisman Trophy, a request the school disputes ever receiving.
The Number Was Promised Years Before The Conflict Began
The situation traces back to LSU's 2024 recruiting cycle, when then-head coach Brian Kelly reportedly promised Pickett he could wear No. 5 once he arrived on campus.
Kelly didn't follow through during Pickett's freshman season, later explaining he wanted Daniels' blessing first. Kelly was fired after LSU finished 7-6 last season. But new head coach Lane Kiffin decided to honor the original promise.
"It was promised to the kid," Kiffin said. "When a kid is promised something to come to a school, he should wear it."
Pickett has stood firmly behind that reasoning.
"I wore the number my whole life, since I was four years old," he said. "It's the number I was promised. I wish Jayden the best. He's a good player, he did real good here. That's all."
Daniels, for his part, has tried to keep the situation from becoming a larger distraction, releasing his own statement focused on staying focused with Washington rather than escalating things publicly himself.
Damien Pickett has now stepped into the spotlight as well, telling reporters he wishes the whole saga would fade so the focus could return to football.
"If we would have been told during our recruiting process… we can talk to Jayden and see what Jayden has to say," he said, arguing the entire situation could have been avoided with better communication.
In the same breath, though, he added, "Honestly, man, this right here makes us want to wear the number more."
LSU And Pickett's Family Aren't Backing Down
That mixed messaging showed up elsewhere, too. Just days before pleading for the drama to end, Damien posted a direct link to his son's NIL merchandise store, promoting a No. 5 t-shirt jersey and full jersey listed for $109.99.
Since then, he's pleaded with everyone to get back to focusing on plain old football.
"Can WE Please get back to Football 🏈 😐😐," the senior Picket tweeted on Tuesday.
https://twitter.com/damien_pickett/status/2089714711201718296
LSU hasn't shied away from the controversy either, recently posting training camp footage of Pickett wearing the number, a move that only added more fuel to a feud StubHub itself joined in mocking with a viral post that racked up nearly 5 million views.
LSU's jersey retirement policy technically supports Kiffin's decision. Under school rules, a retired number can still be issued to a current player with head coach approval, with Billy Cannon's No. 20 standing as the program's only truly untouchable number.
Daniels' No. 5 was never formally retired, leaving LSU within its rights to hand it to Pickett regardless of how Daniels feels about the decision.
For now, neither side shows signs of backing down.
The post DJ Pickett's Dad Just Sent Jayden Daniels A Message Nobody Expected originally published on Total Pro Sports.
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