Jayden

Jayden Daniels and Joe Burrow both played quarterback at LSU. Both won a Heisman Trophy.

Burrow’s No. 9 has not been worn by a Tigers player since he left for the NFL after the 2019 season. Daniels’ No. 5 hadn’t been worn since he did the same in 2023, until sophomore cornerback DJ Pickett was issued the jersey when preseason workouts began a week ago.

Daniels isn’t pleased, informing LSU through his attorney that he “feels profoundly disrespected” and forbidding the school to use his name, image and likeness.

Pickett’s family isn’t happy either. Damien Pickett, DJ’s father, told Nola.com on Thursday that his son has worn No. 5 “his whole life” and has the number tattooed on his left arm.

“Honestly, man, this right here makes us want to wear the number more,” Damien said. “He’s been put in the middle of something that has nothing to do with him.”

A five-star recruit out of Florida Zephyrhills High, Pickett asked finalists LSU, Oregon, Miami and Georgia if he could wear No. 5. All four schools, his father said, agreed to the request.

“If we would have been told during our recruiting process and they had said, ‘Hey, No. 5 is not being issued. We can’t promise you No. 5, but we can talk to Jayden and see what Jayden has to say. If he gives his blessing, he does. If he doesn’t, he doesn’t,’ [and we would have] moved forward,’” Damien said.

On Wednesday, Daniels made it clear that he isn’t giving his blessing.

“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,” a statement from Daniels’ spokesperson said.

Current and former LSU coaches have scrambled to explain how and why the awkward situation unfolded as it did.

Lane Kiffin, in his first year at LSU after leaving Mississippi, told reporters on Aug. 5 that Pickett had been promised the No. 5 when he signed with the Tigers before last season.

Then-coach Brian Kelly told ESPN he reneged on the promise because Daniels objected, but Kiffin sided with Pickett this summer.

“That was promised to him in recruiting here, for him to sign here,” Kiffin said. “I’ve done a lot of research on that with the family and the representatives and the people, so really I didn’t have a decision to make. It was promised to the kid.”

Kelly, now a college football analyst at CBS Sports, said that despite the promise, he held off giving Pickett No. 5 unless Burrow agreed to let his No. 9 go to another player.

“I just wasn’t prepared to do it until we got a full commitment from another Heisman Trophy winner,” Kelly said. “We didn’t want to issue No. 9, so you can’t treat one differently from the other.”

LSU’s policy regarding jerseys being retired is nebulous, stating that any number retired after Jan. 1, 2007, “does not preclude a current student-athlete in that sport from wearing the jersey number in that or any other sport, subject to the discretion of the head coach.”

Running back Billy Cannon’s No. 20 jersey is the only number retired before 2007. Cannon led LSU to a national championship in 1958 and won the Heisman a year later.

Daniels has been criticized on social media for objecting to Pickett wearing No. 5, primarily because Burrows led LSU to a national title while Daniels did not.

The Tigers went 15-0 in 2019, the year Burrows won the Heisman. Daniels’ Heisman came four years later with the team going 10-3, losing to Florida State, Mississippi and Alabama. However, he amassed 50 touchdowns and nearly 5,000 yards from scrimmage, while passing for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns and rushing for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns.

“Jayden made it clear that he did not want his number given to another player, and he believed his wishes would be respected,” his statement said. “His Heisman Trophy-winning season and everything he accomplished on and off the field cemented his place in LSU history. To see his number given to another player is incredibly disappointing and feels like a failure to honor the significance of what Jayden accomplished at LSU.”

Daniels’ attorney Adam Kenner sent a letter expressing his wishes to LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry on Aug. 5, a copy of which was obtained by ESPN. The letter noted that Daniels’ contract permitted LSU to use his name, image and likeness for only 180 days beyond his final game in college.

“Accordingly, LSU must immediately cease and desist from any further issue use, display, publication, distribution, promotion, commercialization, or other exploitation of Mr. Daniels’ NIL in any manner or medium,” Kenner wrote. “Any use of Mr. Daniels’ NIL occurring after LSU’s receipt of this notice will be deemed knowing and willful and will be pursued vigorously through all available legal and equitable remedies.”

Daniels and Burrow are now NFL stars. Daniels is quarterback of the Washington Commanders and was NFL Rookie of the Year in 2024 before missing 10 games because of injuries in 2025. Burrows is a three-time Pro Bowl selection in six seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Pickett, who wore No. 3 last season, was named a freshman All-American after totaling three interceptions and 37 tackles.

“We never in a million years would have thought that it would come to this about a number, but we’re here,” Damien Pickett said. “Again, my boy doesn’t really care for the attention. It’s disappointing considering that we’re getting ready to start the season.

“To have a situation like this happen right now, considering that Jayden is a legend at LSU and it’s out that he’s not supportive of my son wearing his number, is very disappointing.”

West Indies take a 1-0 lead in the two-Test series after Jayden Seales dominates with the ball on day 4 in Trinidad.

Paceman Jayden Seales ‌claimed his fourth five-wicket haul to bowl the West ⁠⁠Indies to ⁠a 90-run victory over Pakistan in the opening Test match in Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago.

After eking out a 29-run first-innings ⁠lead, the West ⁠⁠Indies made 181 in their second innings to set Pakistan a target of 211 on Tuesday, the fourth day of play.

Seales (5-20) and his pace ⁠colleagues returned to produce a superb fast-bowling display at the Brian Lara Stadium, routing Pakistan for 120 in a little over 40 overs, with one day of play remaining.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam made an unbeaten 58 and combined ‌with number 11 Mohammad Abbas (23) in a brief resistance, but the West ⁠⁠Indies’ victory appeared a formality after the tourists slumped to 71-9.

Pakistan number three Shan Masood, who fractured his finger during his first-innings knock of 109, batted at number eight in the second innings. He made three before ⁠Seales dismissed him.

Captain Roston ⁠Chase dedicated the victory to West Indies great Garry Sobers, who died earlier this month.

“We wanted to make him proud and had a chat about it ⁠before the match. I hope he is smiling down on us,” Chase said afterwards.

“I ⁠love the direction this team is ⁠heading. We’re not relying on one or two players; everyone is chipping in at crucial moments.”

Babar said Pakistan’s lack of partnerships proved costly.

“Today, as a batting ‌unit, we weren’t up to the mark. We kept losing wickets back-to-back, and the batting failed. That’s something we’re working ‌on,” ‌he said.

The second and final Test match in Port of Spain begins on Sunday.

First Test, Tarouba (day four of five)

West Indies 311 (Hope 92; Ali 4-50) & 181 (Joseph 38; Abbas 5-22)

Pakistan 282 (Masood 109; Greaves 5-27) & 120 (Azam 58*; Seales 5-20)

West Indies won by 90 runs; lead series 1-0

Scorecard

Jayden Seales claimed 5-20 as the West Indies pace attack ruthlessly crushed Pakistan to clinch a 90-run victory just after tea on day four of the first Test.

Set 211 for victory, Pakistan were reduced to 71-9 in their second innings on a deteriorating pitch and had looked on course to be bowled out for their lowest total in Tests against the hosts.

However, a battling 10th-wicket partnership between Babar Azam and Muhammad Abbas worth 49 runs took the match into the evening session.

The Pakistan skipper made an unbeaten 58, before Seales secured the success at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad when he had Abbas trapped lbw for 23.

West Indies skipper Roston Chase dedicated the victory to the late Sir Garfield Sobers, who died recently and would have turned 90 on the day they wrapped up victory.

“We wanted to make him proud and had a chat about it before the match. I hope he is smiling down on us,” said Chase.

“I also want to thank the Trinidad crowd for coming out and supporting us. It was not a big crowd but it gave us enough energy and support to go out there and perform.”

Having resumed on 126-7, West Indies managed to add 55 runs for their last three wickets in the morning session.

Shamar Joseph top-scored for the hosts with 38 off 27 balls, including four sixes, while Kemar Roach made a dogged 18 off 63 balls.

Abbas was the pick of the Pakistan bowlers as he claimed 5-22.

Their chase started to unravel before lunch when Seales removed Imam-ul-Haq, Azan Awais and Salman Agha.

Justin Greaves, who had taken five wickets for no runs on day three during an incredible spell of five wicket maidens, bowled Mohammad Rizwan before he trapped Aamer Jamal lbw as West Indies tightened their grip.

Shan Masood batted with a fractured finger and briefly delayed the inevitable before he spooned a catch to backward point as Pakistan’s resistance faded.

Babar was defiant in his knock, but ultimately ran out of partners as his side slumped to their eighth consecutive defeat in Tests away from home.

He said: “We played good cricket in the last few days but today we were not up to the mark as a batting unit.

“There was uneven bounce in the pitch but we should have looked to build partnerships. The basics stay the same, you have to survive the new ball and look to score when it gets a bit old.”

Pakistan will attempt to level the two-match series in the second Test in Port of Spain, which begins on 2 August.

At the state track and field championships, Jayden Rendon of Carson was in the lead of the 300 intermediate hurdles on Saturday when he struck the final hurdle and fell to the ground. So ended his opportunity to repeat as state champion.

Did he pout? Did he lose his composure? Did he blame something or someone?

Absolutely not.

“You live and learn,” he said. “It does no justice dwelling when I can do so much more.”

He’s headed to USC, and what a student athlete he will become. He was honored on Tuesday, receiving a $1,500 scholarship from the City Section for his academic and athletic commitment. He wrote an essay on how schools in the Southern Section were trying to convince him to leave Carson.

He said absolutely not.

“Growing up in the track world since I was 8 years old, I watched many of my friends and teammates make a decision to attend schools outside of their community,” he wrote. “Their reasoning was based around sports because they believed that the CIF Southern Section schools were more competitive and would give them more opportunities for success. When I was in middle school, my family moved to Long Beach from Carson, which made my home school Long Beach Poly. The majority of my youth team friends decided to attend LB Poly, and I was often questioned on why I chose to stay in Carson instead of following the crowd. My parents and I were told that I would never reach my full potential in the City Section.

“My decision to stay in Carson and compete for the City Section was not just about competition, but about connection. While preparing to compete in the multi-events at the Junior Olympics, when I was 10, I had to run the hurdles. Coach Jojo coached hurdles at Carson so my mom asked him if he would be willing to train me in the summer. I grew a bond with Coach Jojo and developed a love for the hurdles. Both my mother and grandmother went to Carson but it was Coach Jojo who showed me what it truly meant to be part of the Colt family. Besides my family, he was my biggest supporter, he believed in me and made me feel like I belonged to something bigger: a legacy. I didn’t care what anyone said, I knew that if I had Coach Jojo by my side and if I set my mind to it, I could be successful.

“I never would have believed that from the start of my freshman year, the sport that I love, would hit me with life: In January 2023, just a few months before my first high school track season began, I lost Coach Jojo to cancer. After being a pallbearer for my beloved Coach Jojo, I made a promise to him to finish what we started. The way I saw it, I had two choices, I could feel sorry for myself or I could push through the pain and stay focused on my goals of becoming a USC Trojan.”

Rendon fulfilled his promise to his coach and community.

“I wanted to stay in the City Section,” he said. “It was my roots. I wanted to be the hometown hero. I didn’t think I needed to move to be great.”

He was right again.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.