Former LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels has been in the news this week.
Daniels is in the midst of an ongoing dispute with his alma mater over the usage of his name, image and likeness. According to a statement from an attorney, the Daniels family felt “profoundly disrespected” by LSU choosing to allow sophomore cornerback DJ Pickett to wear the No. 5 jersey number for the 2026 season.
Before Pickett, no LSU player had worn No. 5 since Daniels did so in his Heisman Trophy-winning season with the Tigers.
ESPN’s Paul Finebaum weighed in on the issue this week, calling Daniels’ decision “senseless.”
“I want to say one thing because I’m not an equivocator, but I got to know Jayden when he was at LSU,” Finebaum said on 1067 The Fan. “I really liked him, talked to him a lot, and I would interview [former LSU head coach] Brian Kelly. Even when he went to the Commanders, there was a great sense of pride in what he did the first year. I said all that to say this: He’s lost all of that from everywhere and everyone in LSU Nation after what happened this week.
“I’ve rarely, if ever, seen a dumber, more senseless move. I don’t know who pulled the strings, but all the ‘clean up on aisle 3’ from Jayden Daniels from this moment on will not be enough. He has made a terrible mistake. He can be successful in Washington. I hope he is. But I would advise him to never waste another second in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, because they are done with him.”
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Asked specifically about a potential Daniels reception in Tiger Stadium, Finebaum quipped that it would be “chillier than inauguration day at the nation’s capital.”
Daniels and the Washington Commanders are scheduled to have their season opener against the Eagles on Sept. 13.
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Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
