'College GameDay' Chooses Surprising Celebrity Guest Picker for Miami vs. Florida

The athlete isn't one you'd readily associate with Miami, though he is a fixture in South Florida.

Matthew Tkachuk will attempt to pick some winners on this intriguing college football Saturday. / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

On Saturday, College GameDay will head to Miami for the first time since 2020—and the show will bring an intriguing celebrity guest picker with it.

Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk will serve as this week's celebrity guest picker, College GameDay announced Thursday afternoon. Tkachuk, 27, is entering his fourth season with Florida; he will miss the first few months of the season after offseason surgery.

MORE: Predicting Where ESPN's 'College GameDay' Will Head After Week 4 at Miami

A native of Scottsdale, Ariz., Tkachuk did not attend college—though he was briefly committed to play for Notre Dame. He played junior hockey with the London Knights in Ontario, and was drafted sixth by the Flames in 2019.

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Past celebrity guest pickers for voyages to Miami include longtime MLB infielder Alex Rodriguez in 2017 and former ESPN stalwart Stugotz in '20.

The Hurricanes are 3–0 and ranked No. 4 in the country after blowing out South Florida on Saturday. The Gators, on the other hand, are 1–2 with losses to the Bulls and No. 3 LSU.

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