Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports
DJ Pickett will wear No. 5 at LSU for the first time since Jayden Daniels.
DJ Pickett will wear a new jersey number for the LSU Tigers in the coming season. He was promised No. 5 by the previous coaching staff.
The former five-star defensive back has been seen sporting his new look during preseason camp. Lane Kiffin was forced to honor Brian Kelly’s vow.
The decision will prevent ruffling feathers inside the LSU locker room. It has been met with backlash amongst the fanbase, though.
DJ Pickett has a new jersey number.
The cornerback will rock No. 5 in the 2026 college football season. He will be the first player to do so since Jayden Daniels won the Heisman.
It’s worth noting that LSU does not retire jersey numbers. There appears just one number off-limits for players. That’s No. 20 previously donned by Billy Cannon.
The program has retired five players’ jersey in its history. A provision, however, allowed for those numbers to be recirculated for current players so long as certain requirements are met.
Under a provision of the LSU jersey retirement bylaws established Jan. 1, 2007, the retirement of an athlete’s jersey in a particular sport 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. This provision applies only to jerseys retired after January 1, 2007.
With that being said, reuse of certain numbers comes at the head coach’s discretion. No one, for example, has worn No. 9 since Joe Burrow’s Heisman campaign. The same had been true of No. 5.
Why did it change?
“DJ is in 5. That was a situation that was promised to him in recruiting here, for him to sign here.”@LSUfootball @Lane_Kiffin on sophomore defensive back DJ Pickett wearing No. 5 for #LSU this year.
“When a kid is promised something to come to a school, he should wear it.” pic.twitter.com/qNQrWq8JZq
— Jacques Doucet (@JacquesDoucet) August 5, 2026
Lane Kiffin says DJ Pickett was promised the jersey number upon signing with the LSU football program. That promise was made by the previous staff.
Here’s some of the immediate response from the Tigers’ fanbase.
“What has Pickett done to earn that? That’s JD5’s number. Period.”
“Nahh, this is incredibly disrespectful of the previous staff to promise that, unless they reached out to (Daniels).”
“Add that to the long, long list of why BK was the WORST!! Can’t promise a Heisman winner’s number to a recruit.”
I may fall in the minority on this. Jersey numbers don’t matter. There are only so many to go around. Honor the player, not the number, especially if it helps bring in the next great talent.
Clearly, many in Baton Rouge feel otherwise.
Pickett was the top-rated player in the state of Florida during the 2025 recruiting cycle. He chose LSU over offers from Georgia, Alabama, Miami, Oregon, and many others. Brian Kelly’s promise might’ve made an impact.
Kelly was fired during his freshman year. Pickett chose to stick with the Tigers rather than enter the transfer portal. He’ll now be rewarded.
For whatever reason, Pickett did not wear No. 5 as a rookie. Instead, he donned No. 3 while earning All-America honors.
Lane Kiffin spoke to those close to his recruitment. He received confirmation of the ask. The coach will allow DJ Pickett to have his desired jersey number, which he also wore in high school.
If anything, it provides an added pressure to live up to the expectation that comes with following a Heisman winner.