The fight between Jayden Daniels and LSU over No. 5 has turned a jersey number into one of college football's strangest offseason stories, but it also provides a good excuse to examine Miami's situation when it comes to retiring jersey numbers.
A quick update on what is happening between Daniels and LSU:
Daniels' representatives sent LSU a cease-and-desist letter barring the school from using his name, image and likeness after the Tigers allowed sophomore cornerback D.J. Pickett to wear No. 5. Daniels wore the number while winning the 2023 Heisman Trophy, but LSU has never formally retired it. Pickett says No. 5 was promised to him during his recruitment, and both Lane Kiffin and former LSU coach Brian Kelly have confirmed that promise existed.
An attorney representing Commanders QB Jayden Daniels informed LSU it can no longer use his name, image and likeness and said he felt "profoundly disrespected" after LSU allowed cornerback DJ Pickett to wear his former No. 5 jersey. https://t.co/GieZ0vWEaM
— ESPN (@espn) August 13, 2026
Moving to Miami
The Hurricanes have actually avoided any dilemma similar to that by taking a particularly selective approach to jersey retirement. Despite five national championships and a history that includes 79 All-Americans, 12 College Football Hall of Famers and 11 Pro Football Hall of Famers, the Hurricanes have retired only five football numbers.
Jim Dooley's No. 42, George Mira Sr.'s No. 10, Ted Hendricks' No. 89 and Vinny Testaverde's No. 14 were retired when Miami established its Ring of Honor in 1997. The school then went 26 years without retiring another football number before adding Gino Torretta's No. 13 in 2023.
In that same year, Miami created a formal policy for future decisions: A player must be at least 10 years removed from his final game at Miami, National Player of the Year recognition serves as the minimum standard (although that requirement can be waived because of extenuating circumstances or a player's overall contribution to the program) and any exception must go through the athletic director and Ring of Honor Committee.
Seems reasonable enough. Let's take a look at who is waiting.
No. 11 Ken Dorsey
Dorsey went 38-2 as Miami's starting quarterback and his 86 career touchdown passes remain a school record. He also ranks second in program history with 9,565 passing yards and won the 2001 Maxwell Award. His junior season ended with a 12-0 national championship and he followed that up by taking Miami back to the national championship game the following season.
No. 78 Bryant McKinnie
McKinnie won the 2001 Outland Trophy, was a consensus first-team All-American and finished eighth in Heisman Trophy voting as an offensive tackle. He did not allow a sack during his two seasons at Miami and the Hurricanes went 23-1 during those two years.
No. 44 Dan Morgan
Morgan is still Miami's career tackles leader with 532 and he is the only Hurricane to record at least 100 tackles in four different seasons. In 2000, he became the first player in college football history to win the Bednarik, Butkus and Nagurski awards in the same season.
No. 20 Ed Reed
Reed finished with 21 interceptions, earned consensus first-team All-America honors in both 2000 and 2001 and was one of the leaders during Miami's championship season.
No. 76 Warren Sapp
In 1994, Sapp won the Lombardi Award and Bronko Nagurski Trophy, and finished sixth in Heisman Trophy voting. He had 84 tackles and 10.5 sacks that season while leading a defense that finished first nationally in total defense, scoring defense and pass defense.
No. 67 Russell Maryland
Maryland was the first Hurricane to win the Outland Trophy. He accumulated 279 tackles, 25 tackles for loss and 20.5 sacks, played on two national championship teams and became the No. 1 overall selection in the 1991 NFL Draft.
No. 36 Bennie Blades
Blades won the 1987 Jim Thorpe Award, was a two-time first-team All-American and helped Miami win the 1987 national championship. His 19 career interceptions stood as the program record until Reed eventually passed him.
No. 26 Sean Taylor
Taylor was a consensus All-American, the 2003 Big East Defensive Player of the Year and a Thorpe Award finalist after leading the nation in interceptions.
No. 52 Ray Lewis
Lewis finished with 388 career tackles, including the two highest single-season tackle totals in Miami history at 160 in 1995 and 152 in 1994.
Miami has 23 Ring of Honor players without a retired number
Miami currently has 31 members, including 28 former players, in the Ring of Honor. Only five of those players have a retired number.
That leaves 23 players already recognized among the greatest Hurricanes ever without having their jersey number retired:
- No. 47, Ottis Anderson
- No. 40, Don Bosseler
- No. 20, Bernie Kosar
- No. 2, Burgess Owens
- No. 5, Edgerrin James
- No. 12, Jim Kelly
- No. 96, Cortez Kennedy
- No. 50, Jim Otto
- No. 36, Bennie Blades
- No. 32, Eddie Dunn
- No. 4, Steve Walsh
- No. 98, Jerome Brown
- No. 67, Russell Maryland
- No. 47, Michael Irvin
- No. 52, Ray Lewis
- No. 20, Ed Reed
- No. 76, Warren Sapp
- No. 26, Sean Taylor
- No. 32, Chuck Foreman
- No. 11, Ken Dorsey
- No. 5, Andre Johnson
- No. 78, Bryant McKinnie
- No. 44, Dan Morgan
Miami could probably retire another dozen numbers and find a reasonable argument for every choice. Its reluctance to do that is precisely why the five already honored carry so much weight. And it's also why Miami isn't in a situation similar to that of the New York Yankees where it feels like every jersey is in the rafters. Sure, having fewer numbers retired keeps the honor feeling special, but it also prevents a silly situation where nothing is available for the players of today.
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