Before LSU played a single snap during its highly anticipated season opener against Clemson, the drama in Baton Rouge was already at a fever pitch. If you missed the offseason soap opera, former LSU quarterback and 2023 Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels issued a cease-and-desist letter to his alma mater. The issue? Current sophomore cornerback DJ Pickett was granted Daniels’ old No. 5 jersey.
Daniels’ camp felt the university was disrespecting his legacy by handing out his number so soon, while LSU stood by the fact that Pickett had been promised the jersey. By the time game day rolled around, the tension between the Washington Commanders quarterback and the Tiger faithful had set the stage for a highly entertaining, and somewhat petty, showdown.
Here is exactly how the drama unfolded during Saturday’s season opener against Clemson:
College GameDay: The 7-Year-Old Troll
The hostility started early on Saturday morning during College GameDay. A 7-year-old LSU fan wearing a No. 5 jersey instantly turned into a viral sensation by holding up a sign that read: “Jayden, don’t sue me. I’m only 7.”
It perfectly captured how the LSU fanbase felt about the whole ordeal—mocking what many saw as a ridiculous legal threat over a college jersey number.
DJ Pickett Takes the Field in No. 5
When it was time for kickoff, all eyes were on the LSU defense to see if the school would actually cave to the legal threats. They didn’t. DJ Pickett proudly trotted out onto the field under the stadium lights wearing the controversial No. 5 jersey. The move proved the university is unfazed by Daniels’ complaints, fully supporting Pickett’s right to wear the number he was promised during his recruitment.
The “NFLSU” Video Snub
The absolute peak of the pettiness came during a weather delay, when LSU played its traditional “NFLSU” pregame hype video on the jumbotron. The video is meant to highlight the program’s rich history of sending elite talent to the NFL. But there was one glaring omission: Jayden Daniels.
Despite being a recent Heisman winner and the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft, Daniels was completely scrubbed from the main montage. The production team clearly made a conscious decision to leave him out of the university’s ultimate highlight reel.
The Tiger Stadium Boos
While LSU tried to keep Daniels out of the primary hype video, the school didn’t omit him entirely from the stadium’s broadcast elements. Later during the NFLSU segment, when Daniels was briefly showcased on the video board, the crowd inside Tiger Stadium let him hear it. The fans broke out in a chorus of boos, officially cementing the fractured relationship between the school’s third Heisman winner and the fans who used to cheer for him.
The Takeaway
In college football, loyalty is everything, and the name on the front of the jersey will always matter more to the fans than the name on the back. By sending a cease-and-desist over a number, Daniels alienated a fanbase that formerly adored him. From a 7-year-old’s hilarious GameDay sign to deafening boos in Death Valley, LSU fans made one thing clear: they are moving on, and the No. 5 now belongs to DJ Pickett.
