Quick, what number did Jayden Daniels wear when he was at LSU? If you had to think about that for even a second, you might want to lock your doors. Because it's very possible that someone from Daniels's inner circle is on the way to your house to kick your ass.

I issue this warning because over the last few days we have discovered that the No. 5 jersey is extremely important to Daniels, or at least it is to someone who spends time handling his affairs. On Wednesday, ESPN reported that an attorney representing Daniels sent a letter to LSU, where Daniels played from 2022–23, informing the school that it can no longer use Daniels's name, image, or likeness in promotional materials. The letter was sent because Daniels is upset that LSU is allowing sophomore cornerback DJ Pickett to wear the No. 5 jersey this upcoming season. A spokesperson representing Daniels also released a statement, expressing the disappointment felt by the "Daniels family" at LSU's decision to let a guy wear a number. From ESPN:

"The Daniels family is deeply disappointed and feels profoundly disrespected by LSU's decision to give Jayden's number to another player," the statement from Daniels' spokesperson said. "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."

I can see you have some questions, so let me just head you off at the pass: No, LSU has not officially retired Daniels's No. 5 jersey, and yes he did play for the Tigers for just two seasons after transferring from Arizona State, where he played three more games than he did at LSU. And no, he didn't lead LSU to a national title or even an appearance in the College Football Playoff, but he did take them to the Citrus Bowl and ReliaQuest Bowl in back-to-back seasons, and he even played a few snaps in one of those games. But he won the Heisman, dammit! That's something no LSU player has done since 2019, when Joe Burrow won it, and before you ask, smart guy: No, Burrow's jersey isn't retired, either.

As with most things in life, this mess can be blamed on Brian Kelly, who recruited Pickett to LSU. Kelly told ESPN that he promised Pickett the No. 5 jersey during his recruitment, but that he ultimately reneged on that deal because he had not received Daniels's blessing. Pickett wore No. 3 during his freshman season, during which Kelly was fired. Now playing under head coach Lane Kiffin, Pickett has been given the number he was promised, and he doesn't seem like he's about to give it up.

"I've worn the number my whole life, since I was 4 years old," Pickett told reporters on Thursday. "It's the number I was promised. I wish Jayden the best. Good player, and he did real good here. So that's all."

Pickett's father gave an interview to The Advocate, and he's not budging, either:

“Honestly, man, this right here makes us want to wear the number more,” Damien said. “LSU has not said anything to us about the number, about us being able to wear the number. Coach (Lane Kiffin) has been in full support of my son through this process.”

Daniels, on the other hand, may be getting sheepish. He posted his first public comments on the jersey situation to his Instagram account yesterday, and at this point seems to want to distance himself from the whole thing:

I have been locked in on training camp and that's been my number one focus. I have a lot of gratitude for my time at LSU and I am proud of what my teamamtes and I accomplished there. Obviously there are issues to be worked out between my team and LSU and my hope is that this will get done privately. My sole personal focus is on on Commanders' football. I realize the business of football is unique and I trust this can all be resolved.

Too late, Jayden. You're the Jersey Baby now. Everyone's going to call you that for at least a month, before we move on to something else.