On Nov. 9, 2019, ESPN’s “College GameDay” visited Baton Rouge when LSU hosted Alabama. In 2024, they’re back for more.
“College GameDay” makes its first return to campus since that fateful November day of the Tigers’ national championship-winning season. LSU-Alabama is now tied for the most highlighted matchup on the show with Penn State vs. Ohio State (13).
Every week, “College GameDay” invites a celebrity guest picker to the panel related to the respective university. For most schools, it’s easy, but at LSU, there are so many stars to choose from.
Who will represent the purple and gold on the desk when it’s announced Thursday morning? Let’s take a look at some potential candidates.
Joe Burrow
Burrow transferred from Ohio State to LSU for his junior season, and it might’ve been the best decision he could’ve made. Two years later, he won the Heisman Trophy while leading one of the most dominant offenses in the history of the sport.
He went No. 1 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft to the Cincinnati Bengals, reviving the franchise with their first Super Bowl appearance since 1989. The Bengals travel to M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore to play the Ravens on Thursday Night Football, so a return to Baton Rouge is not out of the question for Burrow.
Ja’Marr Chase
It’s impossible to put Burrow on this list without his running mate, Chase. He was one of Burrow’s top targets in 2019 and joined him in Cincinnati in 2021. The two feel inseparable at this point. Chase’s unequivocalness would make him a great guest on the show.
Ed Orgeron
When it comes to Louisiana, Orgeron is about as cajun as it gets. He was the head coach of 2019’s legendary national championship football team and always received extra attention for his love and representation for and of Louisiana. The Bayou Bengal fans would absolutely feed off Orgeron’s energy at the Quad.
Andrew Whitworth
You couldn’t get a better football mind on the mic than Whitworth. He played at LSU before his 16-year career in the NFL, beating out Burrow and Chase’s Bengals in Super Bowl 56 with the Los Angeles Rams to walk off into the sunset as a Super Bowl champion.
He’s now working for Amazon as an analyst for Thursday Night Football, and he would bring a sense of football knowledge that no other possible guest on the show would be able to. Not to mention, Whitworth was named the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2021 for his efforts to restore Louisiana homes affected by hurricanes.
Angel Reese
The Bayou Barbie is as big as it gets. Reese’s popularity shot into the stratosphere following the Lady Tigers’ first-ever national championship victory in 2023. She’s now a WNBA star for the Chicago Sky and possibly America’s most marketable female athlete. Her presence alone would have people tuning in to “College GameDay” on Saturday morning.
Flau’jae Johnson
Johnson is now LSU women’s basketball’s No. 1 option following the departure of Angel Reese. But Johnson is a star in her own right, always there to get the bucket the Lady Tigers need late in the game. She was a star on Amazon’s “The Money Game,” highlighting her ever-growing rap career alongside her hooping. She’s a jack of all trades and would bring a great conversation to the “College GameDay” desk.
Kim Mulkey
You don’t know what Mulkey will say when she grabs the mic. Mulkey is a national championship coach at LSU, and her bluntness on the “College GameDay” desk would be wildly entertaining. On top of that, Mulkey can work for an audience like no other and is an excellent showperson. If Mulkey takes the desk, watch to see what she wears. Her trademarked sparkly, festive fits always turn heads.
Shaquille O’Neal
The man who needs no introduction. O’Neal is not only an LSU, but national icon, walking out Angel Reese on her senior night last season. The Diesel would be a smash hit if he visits the “College GameDay” set.
Paul Skenes
If you were in Baton Rouge on Halloween, you probably saw your fair share of Skenes’ staches roaming the streets. The ace pitcher led the Tigers to a College World Series win in 2023 before being drafted No. 1 overall in the MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Skenes has been spotted returning to LSU to attend football games this season with his girlfriend, national championship gymnast Olivia “Livvy” Dunne, so a trip to the “College GameDay” set is definitely in play.
Livvy Dunne
It would be wrong to exclude the other half of Baton Rouge’s most fabulous power couple. Dunne is a social media sensation coming off LSU gymnastics’ first national championship in program history. Don’t be surprised to see Dunne at the desk come Saturday morning.
Haleigh Bryant
Bryant is dubbed “the greatest gymnast in the universe” when she is introduced at the PMAC for LSU Gymnastics meets, and it’s well deserved. Bryant is the reigning all-around national champion and spearheads a stacked squad looking to run it back this spring. Her prowess as a gymnast deserves more recognition from the national media and an appearance on “College GameDay” would do just that.
Lil Wayne
While he was on the show in 2016, “College GameDay“ does not stray away from repeat guests. Last week, Keegan-Michael Key returned to the desk when the show visited his alma mater at Penn State.
While not only being a Louisiana icon, Wayne recently collaborated with LSU women’s basketball star Flau’jae Johnson on their song “Came Out a Beast,“ both performing to a sold-out crowd at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans for the annual Lil Weezyana festival on Saturday. His flamboyant personality would make the show a must-watch for all.
