ESPN's College Gameday returns to Baton Rouge this weekend for the first time since 2019 as the LSU Tigers will host the Alabama Crimson Tide. One of the most exciting parts of the lead up to College Gameday is the announcement of the Guest Picker. Oftentimes you see a former player or coach join the panel while with some other schools have celebrity representatives.
This week there have been a ton of guesses as to who the Guest Picker may be ranging from Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase who play on Thursday Night Football to Kim Mulkey, Jay Johnson, and Matt McMahon.
On campus Tuesday, LSU students voted on who they'd like to see as the Guest Picker this weekend.
Get your guess for @CollegeGameDay Guest Picker in now!#GeauxTigers pic.twitter.com/VPiTDiXyjB
— LSU Tigers (@LSUsports) November 5, 2024
Odell Beckham Jr won out with 14 votes, Beckham likely won't be the selection as the Miami Dolphins will play on Monday Night Football in Los Angeles.
Finishing right behind Odell Beckham Jr was Shaquille O'Neal who received 13 votes from the students. Shaq was back on campus homecoming weekend and attended the Ole Miss game so he could be a serious candidate for ESPN. The only way ESPN may go with someone else is because Shaq is an analyst for TNT on Inside the NBA which competes with ESPN's NBA coverage.
LSU Baseball Alum Paul Skenes finished third with six votes fresh off of an incredible Rookie Season. Skenes has been back on campus recently and has appeared on the Pat McAfee show a few times which makes him a likely candidate.
Finishing right behind Skenes were Livvy Dunne and Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase with five votes. Dunne has been traveling promoting LSU and The Money Game a documentary on NIL at LSU but, a student being the guest picker is highly unlikely.
The others receiving votes include Lil Wayne, Leonard Fournette, Kim Mulkey, Flau'Jae Johnson, Justin Jefferson, Theo Von, and Jordan Davis.
One candidate that didn't make the list that we'd all love to see back for the game is Patrick Peterson who's still currently an NFL Free Agent. Two other names that deserved some recognition are Sha'Carri Richardson and Mondo Duplantis fresh off of their Gold Medal wins.
The debate says a ton about LSU's Power
LSU has a ton of solid choices as which says a ton about how great the school is at developing superstars. When Gameday last came to campus athletes like Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, Paul Skenes, Livvy Dunne, Dylan Crews, and Angel Reese weren't even near superstardom. The LSU athletics program has been developing superstars across the board at an unbelievable rate which is a massive pitch to recruits in any sport.