For the seventh time in school history, Utah will play host to ESPN’s “College GameDay,” and the guest picker spot is once again the buzz around the show’s final stretch.
“College GameDay” brings Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee, Nick Saban and Kirk Herbstreit to campus for a three-hour broadcast that will put plenty of Utah football in front of a national audience. The show’s staples will be there too, including McAfee’s “Kicking Is Easy” segment, but the biggest moment comes at the end when the panel is joined by a guest picker for the week’s game picks, finishing with Houston-Utah.
Utah has seen a few memorable guest pickers over the years. Ty Burrell was on hand for the 2010 visit before the Utes fell 47-7 to TCU.
John Stockton took part in 2015 ahead of Utah’s 30-24 win over Cal, a game in which the Utes intercepted Jared Goff five times. Frank Caliendo handled the duties in 2016 before Utah’s 31-24 loss to Washington, and Steve Smith was there in 2023 for a 35-6 loss to Oregon.
Most recently, Alex Smith joined the desk in 2025 before Utah beat Cincinnati 45-14.
With “GameDay” making its third trip to Utah in four years, there are a few names that fit the moment.
Eric Weddle stands out as one of the strongest options. The former Utah safety was recently added to the school’s Ring of Honor and has remained close to the program, showing up around games when he can and becoming something of an unofficial voice for Utah through X and fan spaces.
He played at Utah from 2003-06, was part of the undefeated 2004 team, and earned All-American honors after a huge 2006 season. That senior year was all over the stat sheet: 65 tackles, seven interceptions, two pick-sixes, a fumble return touchdown, 203 rushing yards and five scores, eight punt returns for 44 yards, and even two completions for 43 yards and a touchdown.
Weddle followed that with a 14-year NFL career that included two first-team All-Pro nods, three second-team selections, six Pro Bowl appearances and a Super Bowl title with the Los Angeles Rams in 2021 after returning from retirement for the playoffs. He’s also the head football coach at Rancho Bernardo High, which has a game Friday, but “GameDay” can bring in guest pickers by private jet.
Dalton Kincaid is another logical choice. The former Utah tight end already popped up on Pat McAfee’s ESPN show via Zoom before the 2023 return visit, and now the Buffalo Bills are on bye this week.
Kincaid arrived from the University of San Diego and became a centerpiece of Utah’s back-to-back Pac-12 championship teams, leaving with 1,414 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns on 107 catches. Since Buffalo took him with the No. 25 pick in the 2023 NFL draft, he has posted 2,007 yards and 10 touchdowns on 179 receptions.
This season, he has 315 yards and a touchdown. He’s shown he can bring energy, too, which matters on a set like this.
Tony Finau would give the show a different kind of presence. The golfer grew up in Rose Park, roots for Utah and has six PGA Tour wins.
In an Instagram video posted by Steve Smith in September, Finau talked about Utah’s new offense, saying, “We look all right this year,” and adding, “I’m kind of liking the double quarterback in the backfield. The last couple games, the options seem unlimited.”
Smith replied, “’Cause the head coach now actually wants to win,” and Finau answered, “He actually wants to score points,”. That kind of football talk would make him an entertaining fit for the desk.
Darryn Peterson is the wildcard. His college loyalty belongs to Kansas, but the Utah Jazz guard would still bring serious buzz as the No. 2 pick in this year’s NBA draft.
By Saturday, Peterson will have played two NBA games, including the Jazz’s home opener Friday night. Utah remains at home for a homestand that includes the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, so a stop by “GameDay” is possible if the Jazz practice schedule works out.
Post Malone could have been in the mix as well, but he has a concert at the Formula 1 MSC Cruises United States Grand Prix on Saturday night.
In Other News...
Utah Still Has Something To Prove After Staying Unbeaten
Utah left its matchup with Colorado still unbeaten, but the mood around the program was hardly celebratory. Players and coaches have spent the days since focusing on the offensive cleanup work that showed up in that game, where missed assignments and communication issues kept the unit from feeling as sharp as it needs to be heading into the tougher stretch of the schedule.
Creed Whittemore, Jordan Gross, Noah Bennee and Wayshawn Parker all pointed to the same theme: the Utes need cleaner execution and more consistent play before facing Houston. The standard is higher now, and with quality opponents waiting in the second half of the season, Utah knows it cannot lean on being undefeated alone if the offense is still sorting out its rhythm. [Read more 🡒]
Utah Just Made Colorados Biggest Late-Season Problem Impossible To Ignore
The latest loss left Colorado with four straight defeats, and for a stretch in Salt Lake City, its defense actually gave the Buffs a fighting chance. Utahs passing game was disrupted often enough to keep the game from getting away immediately, while Colorado still managed a few offensive sparks, including JaQuail Smiths 68-yard touchdown reception. Even so, the result fit the same troubling pattern that has followed the Buffaloes through this slide, with key pieces like Jarek Broussard never quite getting the kind of usage that might have changed the flow.
What makes the setback sting is the timing. Colorados margin for error is gone, and the road to a bowl game now runs through a difficult finish that leaves no room for another stumble. The defense showed enough against Utah to suggest this team can still compete in spurts, but the bigger issue is whether the Buffaloes can put together a complete game soon enough to keep the season from slipping away entirely. [Read more 🡒]
Utahs Unbeaten Start Suddenly Feels Much More Fragile In Big 12 Race
Utahs unbeaten start still has the Utes in the thick of the Big 12 picture, but the league race no longer looks quite as clean as it did a week ago. The latest conference power rankings show how crowded the top has become, with three of the six remaining undefeated teams in the Big 12 and BYU climbing after its win over Notre Dame, a reminder that there is very little margin for anyone near the top.
For Utah, the bigger concern is how quickly a close call can reshape perception. The Utes slipped from No. 2 to No. 4 in the composite rankings after the 27-24 win at Colorado, and the schedule does not give them much time to settle in. Houston comes next in a Saturday night home matchup, another chance to prove the unbeaten start is still built to last rather than just survive. [Read more 🡒]