College GameDay is headed back to Tuscaloosa for Saturday’s No. 6 Alabama vs.
No. 2 Georgia showdown, and the real pregame debate is who gets the guest picker chair.
That spot is never just about being famous. It has to make sense for the game, bring some entertainment, and carry enough national pull to feel worthy of the set. Alabama and Georgia both offer plenty of names, but a lot of the obvious candidates come with one catch or another.
Start with the Alabama ties. Eddie Lacy and Mark Ingram both played major roles on the Crimson Tide’s 2011 and 2012 national championship teams, and both are set to serve as honorary captains on Saturday.
Either one would work, especially Lacy, who has turned into a must-follow on social media thanks to his ongoing weight-loss journey that he regularly documents online. Still, the pool of bigger-name former and current NFL players tied to Alabama is deep enough that neither feels like a lock.
Then there’s Oba Femi, known in the wrestling world as “The Ruler.” Before making his name in WWE, Isaac Odugbesan won three SEC shot put championships for Alabama.
He also stopped by Alabama football in September, spoke to the team and gave Kalen DeBoer a custom championship belt. The wrinkle is timing: Femi is scheduled to face Bronson Reed at WWE Money in the Bank in New Orleans on Saturday night, with that event set to begin at 5 p.m.
CT on ESPN Unlimited. If ESPN really wants him on GameDay, it could happen, but the overlap with his match makes the promotional upside a little murkier.
Still, Femi and Pat McAfee would make for a lively exchange.
Country star Riley Green is another name in the mix. The Alabama native and former Jacksonville State quarterback has become a bigger and bigger figure in country music over the last two years, and he has never been shy about loving college football.
His song “Hell Of A Way To Go” even includes the line, “Or maybe on a fifty-yard line watchin' Alabama whoop up on Tennessee.” The twist, of course, is that Green is an Auburn fan.
Ella Langley fits a similar profile. She’s an Auburn fan from Hope Hull, Ala., but she’s out because of her current tour.
That doesn’t mean she’s off the board forever, though. If she or Green ever ends up on the set in Tuscaloosa, the Iron Bowl would be the likeliest stage.
One of the more appealing Alabama options is Sarah Fouts. She may not have the kind of profile that jumps out nationally, but she would be a crowd-pleaser in Tuscaloosa.
Since finishing her decorated Crimson Tide softball career, which was headlined by her World Series perfect game, Fouts has become one of the faces of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League. She won Pitcher of the Year last season and has thrown complete-game wins to clinch the championship in each of the league’s two seasons.
And yes, there’s also the President angle. That would be close to impossible from a logistics standpoint because of Secret Service guidelines, but College GameDay has already shifted locations before, including moving indoors for its season-opening show in Baton Rouge because of inclement weather.
With weather expected to be a major storyline this weekend and ESPN already working through contingency plans, an indoor setup is likely in place if needed. President Trump has announced plans to attend Saturday’s game, so stranger things have happened.
There are also the safer choices, the names with obvious ties and a history with the show. Ms.
Terry was a strong presence on GameDay ahead of the 2024 Alabama-Georgia game, and she brings out a different side of Nick Saban on camera. ESPN’s six-part documentary, “Saban,” debuts Thursday, and the network has put a lot into promoting it.
A segment on Saturday feels inevitable, but having Saban’s wife next to him would be the kind of cross-promotion ESPN loves.
Joe Namath remains a reliable Tuscaloosa option, too. He has already been the guest picker there three times, including before Iron Bowl wins in 2014 and 2020 and during Alabama’s 34-24 loss to Texas in 2023. At this point, would anybody really object to seeing the Crimson Tide legend and Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback again?
Georgia has its own familiar names in the mix. Lil Baby and Quavo are both outspoken Georgia fans who have appeared on GameDay before, and the show has leaned lately toward guests who don’t have Alabama ties when it comes to Tuscaloosa. The two even teamed up for the 2024 single “Georgia Ways,” so a joint appearance wouldn’t be out of character.
Still, the most obvious Alabama pick may also be the likeliest one. Bryce Young is putting together a career season with the Carolina Panthers, and the numbers make the case: his 1,268 passing yards lead the NFL, his nine passing touchdowns are tied for third, and Carolina is on its bye this week. That checks every box, and it sets up a clean return for the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner to Tuscaloosa.
Other names have surfaced as possibilities, including Marcus Luttrell and Jake Peavy. Luttrell is a Navy SEAL, Purple Heart and Navy Cross recipient, while Peavy is a Cy Young winner, World Series champion and Mobile native who has long been a Crimson Tide fan.
College GameDay added full-time guest pickers in 2009, though Alabama had already hosted the show five times before that change.
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