Jayden Daniels
was once the face of LSU football
. The former Tiger reached the pinnacle of individual honors in college football with his Heisman win at Baton Rouge. That legacy was supposed to be lifelong, but one move tore apart the bond between the QB and the LSU fan base, which was evident during the Tigers' Week 1 game against Clemson.
Fans at Tiger Stadium actively cheered for LSU cornerback DJ Pickett
when his name was called. Some even brought signs mocking Daniels' legal threats over his jersey number being allotted to Pickett. Before the game, LSU's athletic program scrubbed Daniels from its heavily promoted "NFLSU" video tribute, which highlights former Tigers currently thriving in the NFL.
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Nearly 20 former LSU icons playing in the NFL, including Joe Burrow
, Justin Jefferson
, and Ja'Marr Chase, were showcased on the big screen. However, Daniels was completely absent despite his 2023 Heisman Trophy accolades.
This high-profile omission was the direct result of a cease-and-desist order sent by Daniels' legal team on August 5. The letter officially barred the university from using his NIL in any marketing, merchandise, or promotional materials. It centers on a conflict over his jersey number.
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During the recruitment of cornerback DJ Pickett, former LSU head coach Brian Kelly reportedly promised him that he could wear the No. 5 jersey at Baton Rouge. Kelly didn't come through with his promise during the 2025 season. However, when Lane Kiffin took over as LSU head coach, he was told about Pickett's earlier demand. Unlike Kelly, Kiffin went ahead with it and gave No. 5 to his star cornerback.
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Daniels wore No. 5 during his 2023 Heisman Trophy-winning season. His camp believed the university would protect the number to honor his legacy. When LSU officially reissued No. 5 to Pickett, Daniels' family expressed they felt profoundly disrespected.
"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 on August 6. "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."
Under LSU guidelines, a player must be removed from the program for at least five years before the university can officially consider retiring a jersey number. So, retiring the number was not under consideration. However, Daniels' camp believed that the program wouldn't assign his number, just like Joe Burrow's jersey number.
Because an athlete cannot legally own a jersey number, Daniels' legal team leveraged his NIL rights. The letter formally demanded that LSU stop using Daniels' name, image, and likeness. It was applicable across all promotional items, murals, highlights, and commercial merchandise.
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While this is what Daniels wanted, the fans haven't gone easy on him. September 5 was the first time they got to show their former QB what they truly feel about it.
"LMAO LSU flexing on Jayden, but he's just a meme now, bro," one fan commented on a Bleacher Report post about Daniels' exclusion from the "NFLSU" pregame video
.
Another fan noted that while the initial video didn't feature the current Washington
QB, one shown during the third quarter did. However, the reaction wasn't pleasant. "They played one in the 3rd quarter that he was included in. He was met with a round of boos. He committed such an unforced error. Oh well," the comment read.
The situation has caused a massive divide beyond LSU fans. Many CFB fans mocked the quarterback and his representation for ruining his college legacy.
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"Mommy, they're not being nice to me. Hahah, that guy needs to grow up and be a man," one fan said. "Play a stupid game. Win stupid prizes. JD didn't want LSU using his name, image, or likeness. So he doesn't get the glory or acknowledgment. Hope he's happy," another fan said.
At the moment, the relationship between Daniels and the fans is completely fractured, all because of one move from his team. "Then go watch his "camp" complain about him not being there even though they specifically asked for them to not feature him. Can't have it both ways," a fan said.
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The post "Just a Meme Now": CFB Fans Brutally Mock Jayden Daniels After Unexpected Move From Lane Kiffin's LSU
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