Jayden Daniels wanted respect from LSU. Instead, he started an ugly fight that will tarnish his reputation

If Jayden Daniels thought starting a war with LSU was going to get the college football world on his side as some type of athlete bucking the system, the former Heisman Trophy winner was receiving some horrible advice.

Just another day in the wild offseason that has engulfed college football, right?

When news officially broke early Thursday morning that representatives for were finally going to pull the trigger on filing a cease-and-desist letter against LSU over the use of the former Tigers quarterback's NIL, the dam finally broke on an internal fight that had been brewing for more than a year.

JAYDEN DANIELS TELLS LSU TO KEEP HIS NAME OUT OF ITS MOUTH IN WILD NO. 5 JERSEY FEUD INVOLVING NIL

The news that Daniels was taking a stand over what his camp felt was a "disrespectful" move by Lane Kiffin in allowing DJ Pickett to wear the No. 5 jersey this season. That was not a surprise to folks in Baton Rouge.

The conversations around the jersey number dates back to Brian Kelly's tenure as the LSU head coach, given that he was also apprehensive about whether someone else should be given the chance to wear Daniels' former number.

But, this was the culmination of a promise to DJ Pickett before he had even arrived in Baton Rouge as an official student.

When Jayden's inner circle first became aware that the "sacred" No. 5 jersey could potentially be worn by another LSU athlete, the bad advice started accumulating around Daniels. For some reason, under the banner of what Jayden's camp is labeling "respect," picking a fight with the school that helped propel him to lifelong gold status among its fan base was the move they decided to make.

And don't forget, Jayden's mother, Regina Jackson, represents him on a daily basis as an agent.

I'm not an expert in marketing, but having your mother make such important calls regarding your career doesnt feel like the smartest decision. Bringing family into such a business usually doesnt lead to the best advice, especially when their livelihood is also on the line.

"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'm proud of what my teammates and I accomplished there," Jayden Daniels posted on social media Thursday afternoon. Obviously there are issues to be worked out between my team and LSU and my hope is that it will get done privately.

"My sole personal focus is on Commanders' football. I realize the business of football is unique and I trust this can all be resolved."

The current conundrum isn't shocking to those within the college football world who followed the awkward off-field situations in this chaotic time wrapped in NIL disagreements and lawsuits, even if Jayden Daniels was not solely to blame.

But during a time in which "respect" is being valued, you can throw allegiances out the door in college athletics. We are living in a much different world than the one Tim Tebow inhabited in the years following his remarkable collegiate career at Florida.

You didn't see Tebow throwing public tantrums over players like Anthony Richardson, Graham Mertz or Jacob Copeland being allowed to wear the coveted No. 15 jersey. The reason is simple: The former Heisman Trophy quarterback at Florida immortalized that number, and the jersey sales over the past decade alone prove that point.

It's not who wears the jersey. It's the legacy that a player builds while wearing it that will be remembered.

In the case of Jayden Daniels, he supposedly feels slighted by the fact that Joe Burrow isn't having LSU officials call him to ask whether he'd be comfortable with another