Jayden Daniels requests LSU return Heisman Trophy copy amid jersey number dispute, per report
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Jayden Daniels’ refusal to let LSU cornerback DJ Pickett wear the No. 5 he donned during his Heisman Trophy campaign has reached a new level.
And it involves the trophy itself. That is, LSU’s copy of it.
According to LouisianaSports.net’s Matt Moscona, Daniels’ representation has asked that Pickett not wear the No. 5 because doing so would allow LSU to benefit from Daniels’ name, image, and likeness. Along with that, Daniels is requesting that LSU send back its copy of the Heisman he won as a fifth-year senior in 2023.
Pickett, a member of Brian Kelly’s 2025 recruiting class, “was promised the number during his recruitment,” but wore No. 3 as a freshman after Daniels didn’t give the former LSU coach the go-ahead.
“When Pickett was negotiating his contract to return to LSU, money was not the source of the negotiation, but rather the jersey number, LSU sources confirmed,” according to Moscona.
Pickett isn’t giving in, reaffirming that he had been promised No. 5 after having worn it since childhood. In fact, the cease-and-desist letter Daniels’ camp sent to Pickett “makes us want to wear the number more,” his father Damien said on Thursday.
In other words, this impasse doesn’t seem close to a resolution.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
