Watch LSU fans loudly boo Jayden Daniels’ name during win over Clemson

Watch LSU fans loudly boo Jayden Daniels’ name during win over Clemson

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Watch LSU fans loudly boo Jayden Daniels’ name during win over Clemson

Watch LSU fans loudly boo Jayden Daniels’ name during win over Clemson originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Fans of the LSU Tigers didn't have too much to jeer at on Saturday night in Baton Rouge. Things took a turn for the worse, however, when former quarterback Jayden Daniels appeared on the scoreboard.

During a timeout, the school aired an "NFLSU" segment to commemorate past LSU Tigers who've made a name for themselves in the NFL. Lloyd Cushenberry III, Reid Ferguson, Damien Lewis, Zavion Thomas and Grant Delpit all received courteous cheers from fans remembering the good times that came from formerly watching those same players compete in Death Valley.

Amid his offseason controversy over his former No. 5 jersey being used for sophomore cornerback DJ Pickett, the Baton Rouge faithful did not take too kindly to seeing their 2022-23 quarterback's face on the scoreboard. 

After much anticipation and preseason controversy, Lane Kiffin's debut began with a 51-10 rout over Clemson. Perhaps the only time LSU fans booed during Saturday's entirety, including the storm delay that postponed the game for nearly three hours, was seeing their friend-turned-foe. Here's a recap of what happened with Daniels and his former school.

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LSU fans boo Jayden Daniels

The royal purple and old gold community wasted little to no time in booing their former offensive leader. Despite a Heisman-winning campaign in 2023, the fans that once raucously cheered on Daniels did anything but.

Here's how Tiger Stadium reacted when their former quarterback appeared during the "NFLSU" segment.

During his LSU career, Daniels accumulated 6,725 passing yards, 57 touchdowns through the air (including 40 during his Heisman season in 2023), and only seven interceptions, along with 2,019 rushing yards and 21 TDs on the ground.

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Jayden Daniels number controversy, explained

In August, news broke that LSU gave sophomore cornerback DJ Pickett No. 5 to wear on the gridiron for the 2026 season. Technically, Daniels' number worn for the Tigers, and his current number for the Commanders, was never retired by the school

Daniels sent a cease-and-desist letter to LSU on Aug. 5, requesting that LSU no longer use his name, image and likeness (NIL) after letting another player wear his previous collegiate number.

"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, per ESPN. "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."

The statement continued, saying LSU's decision "feels like a failure to honor the significance of what Jayden accomplished at LSU," and claiming that "Jayden made it clear he did not want his number given to another player."

Daniels posted a statement saying "there are issues to be worked out between my team and LSU" and assured those interested that his "sole personal focus" was on the Commanders.

Former LSU coach Brian Kelly, who recruited Pickett, told ESPN that the No. 5 was promised to the cornerback, but said he held off on giving him the number because of Daniels' objection.

"I just wasn't prepared to do it until we got a full commitment from another Heisman Trophy winner," Kelly said. "We didn't want to issue No. 9, so you can't treat one differently from the other."

Current Cincinnati Bengals and former Tigers quarterback Joe Burrow donned the No. 9 under his nameplate during his LSU days. Despite winning a national championship in 2019, his number is not technically retired, but no player has used Burrow's number since he departed for the NFL.

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