Nine candidates to be celebrity guest picker when ESPN’s ‘College GameDay’ visits KU

There’s always a bit of intrigue in the days leading up to ESPN’s “College GameDay” broadcast from a college campus.

Specifically, who will the network get to be the celebrity guest picker? Usually, someone with ties to the teams playing or the surrounding area will be tabbed. That person will sit with the hosts and make picks on the day’s big games.

For example, ESPN was at Clemson last week, and Dolphins defensive lineman Christian Wilkins, who played for the Tigers, was the choice. The network had country music singer Luke Combs at Appalachian State to make the picks last month.

So who will be the celebrity guest picker at KU? Here are some possibilities.

Patrick Mahomes

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was asked by Carrington Harrison of KCSP (610 AM) on Monday if he’d do it. Mahomes said he had hoped to go to the game, but the Chiefs have practice Saturday when the game begins at 11 a.m.

“If y’all want to ask coach (Andy) Reid if he can move practice around, we’ll see how that goes,” Mahomes joked. “But I know that’s not going to be a high chance of being agreed upon. So I’ll definitely be watching. But I’m excited for them to go out there and play against TCU and keep that momentum rolling.”

Hey, if Reid lets Mahomes get away, this would be an interesting choice.

Paul Rudd

The actor and “Big Slick” co-host is a KU alum iand a Jayhawks fan, so he would be a natural choice to join the ESPN crew for the game. Rudd, who has starred in “Ant-Man,” “Anchorman,” and “Clueless” is the odds-on favorite from Jayhawk Slant. And that’s not the same math as Rudd’s famous line: “Sixty percent of the time, it works every time.”

Jason Sudeikis

Another “Big Slick” co-host, Sudeikis was still shooting “Ted Lasso” as of last month. But if the show has wrapped up or he is looking for a reason to return to the area (like Rudd, he’s a Shawnee Mission West graduate), he’d be another good choice. On “Ted Lasso,” he was a football coach before moving to England.

Melissa Etheridge

Here’s an outside-the-box pick. Etheridge is a huge Chiefs fan and grew up in Leavenworth, Kansas. Although not much is known about her collegiate alliance, she could be chosen to pick her guitar and pick games.

Joel Embiid

The Philadelphia 76ers star played for the Jayhawks basketball team and has been known to share social-media posts about KU. Embiid remains a fan favorite among Jayhawks supporters.

Rob Riggle

Another “Big Slick” co-host and actor, Riggle was given the distinguished alumni award from the University of Kansas in 2018.

Bill Self

Hey, why not? Self is coach of the defending national championship basketball team and most sports fans know him.

Heidi Gardner

A Kansas City native and “Saturday Night Live” cast member, Gardner spent two years at KU. And she’s a big sports fan.

Dr. Rick

Another long-shot pick, but the actor Bill Glass, who portrays “Parenta-Life” coach Dr. Rick in the series of Progressive commercials, is a KU alum.