Who should be ‘College GameDay’ picker for Alabama-Georgia? 11 celebrities ESPN should consider

It’s a tradition like no other in college football: Guest picker for ESPN’s “College GameDay.”

The popular college football pregame show heads to Tuscaloosa for Saturday’s top-5 showdown between Alabama-Georgia. It certainly isn’t Tuscaloosa’s first rodeo when it comes to headgear picks and the tomfoolery associated with such a Saturday.

With that said, the celebrity picker typically has to have ties to or an allegiance to one of the teams (usually the home team). It is a huge plus – almost a must – the guest have a personality that shines. This has become tougher over the last year with Pat McAfee’s boisterous ways.

Still, the list of celebrity pickers has been impressive over the years when the show heads to Tuscaloosa:

So without further ado, here are some celebrities ESPN should consider bringing in to Tuscaloosa for prediction duty:

Terry Saban

Perhaps the most obvious choice, the wife of former Alabama coach Nick Saban has always demanded attention. Over the years as we have pulled back the curtain on Nick Saban’s personal life, it always seems to start and end with Miss Terry. To see her interact in front of the cameras with Nick Saban – and the panel – on something as trivial as college football picks would be too good to pass up.

Joe Namath

Yes, he has a frequent participant as of late, but “Broadway Joe” will be in Tuscaloosa as an honorary captain. He was the starting quarterback in all three of his varsity seasons for coach Paul “Bear” Bryant at Alabama. Namath threw for 2,714 yards with 27 touchdowns. The quarterback left Alabama owning the school career record for touchdown passes. In short, he is a legend.

Condoleezza Rice

Born in Alabama, the former U.S. Secretary of State and inaugural member of the College Football Playoff selection committee has always been a big college football fan, having attended a few home games in the past few years. Her fandom hit the national airwaves in 2021 when she joined Peyton Manning and Eli Manning during their Manning Megacast presentation of a Giants-Buccaneers game on ESPN. “Peyton, as I understand it, it’s been 15 years since the Volunteers were able to beat the Crimson Tide,” she joked . “And, Eli, before you get too comfortable, I think it’s six since Ole Miss beat the Crimson Tide, so it’s fun to be an Alabama fan.”

Channing Tatum

With “Blink Twice” hitting digital and his role in “Deadpool and Wolverine,” there is no better to strike.

Famously from Cullman, the “Magic Mike” and “21 Jump Street” superstar confirmed in an interview with GQ that he, indeed, rolls with the Tide when the presented him with the big question of Alabama or Auburn? Without hesitation, the star said, “Roll Tide.” Occasionally, Tatum will even wear Bama gear in public, like he did when he served as grand marshal for the 2018 Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama. Nothing like an A-lister rolling with the Tide — make that a “script A”-lister, of course.

Jason Isbell

The Grammy-winner from Green Hill, Ala., and former member of the Drive-By Truckers often shares his fandom via social media whether it’s tweeting selfies from the field, sharing a shot from inside the Bama tunnel or dropping a casual “Roll Tide” when necessary. He even attempted to predict the outcome of Alabama’s 2021 season in a conversation with AL.com.

Julio Jones

So much has been made of the Tide’s success over the years, why not showcase the man who is considered by Nick Saban to have started the run in recruiting? Jones, a Foley native, put Tuscaloosa on the recruiting map and did nothing but win in Tuscaloosa. He took his game to the NFL where he continued his dominance. Plus, the story possibilities between Saban and Jones are endless.

Kaitlan Collins

The Prattville native is always ready to take Alabama football on CNN, so why not ESPN?

The University of Alabama graduate would be perfect to deliver a strong take on all the teams, while representing the Crimson Tide with pride.

She once told AL.com about her weekly “unhealthy” Alabama football gameday routine when she can’t make it to Tuscaloosa.

“I wake up, I get Chick-fil-A, and I watch ‘College GameDay,’” she said. “And I do that every single Saturday, and I’m convinced if I don’t do it, then I will somehow jinx the team.”

Justin Thomas

The former Alabama golfer may have been left on the American Ryder Cup team, but he would be aces on the “GameDay” set. The winner of 15 PGA Tour wins already has a rapport with Nick Saban. After Thomas won the 2017 PGA Championship, then-coach Saban invited the golfer back to campus. So, after Alabama’s overtime win over Georgia for the national championship in January of 2018, Thomas called Saban. It makes sense he be on the panel Saturday since the Tide is playing … Georgia.

Melissa Joan Hart

Clarissa may explain it all, but when it comes to Alabama football, the actor who portrayed the 1990s TV personality could teach the teen character a thing or two about the gridiron.

Known for her roles in “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” and “Melissa and Joey,” the actor has a well-documented story about how she became a Tide fan.

“I was just kind of married into an Alabama family,” Hart said back in 2014. “I had no idea in the beginning how big that would get and how intense that was and what that meant.

“I thought, ‘OK, cool, we could watch football a few times in the fall.’ I didn’t realize exactly how crazy it gets.”

Lucas Black

The former NCIS star is known for getting a “Roll Tide” into his scripts and has always been a fan of the Crimson Tide. Black, a part of “The Fast” movie franchise, was born in Decatur and raised in Speake knows what it is like to share the screen with the biggest stars.

Hannah Brown

The “Bachelorette.” “Dancing with the Stars.” Why not “GameDay? She is as much an Alabama fan as anyone else on this list. A native of Tuscaloosa, she once told AL.com about her old gameday routine when she was a student at the University of Alabama.

“My gameday routine was probably a little different than some might expect,” she said, detailing her and her roommates’ practice of charging $60 per car to park at her house near campus. “Most of my day revolved around parking the cars before the game because I needed the money to pay my bills. It was really fun. I’d see lines of people coming into the game, and I I would be yelling ‘Roll Tide,’ and they’d honk their horns.”

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.