Johnny Manziel was supposed to be front and center on ESPN’s College GameDay this past Saturday, serving as the celebrity guest picker for his alma mater’s massive College Football Playoff showdown. With Texas A&M hosting Miami in the first round of the 2025 CFP, it was shaping up to be a full-circle moment for the 2012 Heisman winner. But when the lights came on and the show went live from College Station, Manziel was nowhere to be found.
Instead, the role went to another Aggie turned pro-Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso-who stepped in as a last-minute replacement. The sudden change sparked plenty of speculation, especially after Manziel was spotted Friday night in Miami at the Jake Paul vs.
Anthony Joshua fight. That timing didn’t go unnoticed, and it didn’t take long for the internet to start piecing together its own version of events.
On Sunday, Manziel addressed the situation directly with a message posted to his Instagram story. In it, the 33-year-old didn’t go into specifics but made it clear that missing the GameDay appearance wasn’t something he took lightly.
“There is almost nothing on this earth that would have made me miss that game,” he wrote. “To all the people that genuinely reached out and checked in on me, I cannot thank you enough.”
He also issued a public apology to the ESPN crew-specifically naming Pat McAfee, Coach Corso, Desmond Howard, and the rest of the GameDay team. He extended that apology to the Texas A&M fan base as well.
“I will continue to let everyone out there run with a fake narrative and at the end of the day, perception always wins over reality,” Manziel added. “I love all of you who genuinely support me through good and bad like you’ve all done for years.”
He closed the statement by saying he was “recovering” and feeling “about a 3/10,” indicating he’s still not back to full strength. Whatever the circumstances, it’s clear something unexpected sidelined him from what would’ve been a meaningful return to the Aggie spotlight.
As for the game itself, it was a heartbreaker for the 12th Man. Texas A&M fell to Miami, 10-3, in a defensive slugfest that came down to the wire.
Quarterback Marcel Reed had a shot to lead a game-winning drive, but a last-second interception sealed the Aggies’ fate. The Hurricanes now move on to face Ohio State in the CFP Quarterfinals.
For Manziel, who remains one of the most polarizing and beloved figures in A&M football history, this was supposed to be a celebratory homecoming. Instead, it turned into a missed moment and a cloud of questions. But if his message is any indication, he’s not done telling his side of the story-and he’s not done rooting for the Aggies, either.