Potential Celebrity Guest Pickers on ESPN's College GameDay for Oregon vs. Indiana

The No. 3 Oregon Ducks will have their second game in a row featured on the popular ESPN's College GameDay broadcast, as the weekly morning football show announced they'll travel to Eugene, Oregon, for the 13th time on Saturday to cover Oregon vs No. 7 Indiana.

With the eighth ever top-ten ranked game at Autzen Stadium as a backdrop for the historic show, a star-studded guest list is in order, and that includes the celebrity guest picker. Last year, "Always Sunny in Philadelphia" actress and Oregon alumnus Kaitlin Olson took to the GameDay desk for her picks.

Previous pickers also include New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu (2022), actor Tim Matheson (2018), the Oregon Duck himself (2014), decathlon star Ashton Eaton (2013), and even Nike co-founder Phil Knight (2009, when guest pickers started as a tradition for the show).

Paden Carroll, left, and Linda Richardson show their signs during ESPN’s “College GameDay” Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024 on the campus of the University of Oregon in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As speculation and guesses run wild on social media, here's a list of celebrities that could fit the bill to quack about the Ducks on a national stage. As a reminder, many GameDay celebrity guest pickers typically have a connection to the host team, have a current project going on or national relevancy, and usually come from the entertainment or sports industries.

No. 1 Neil Everett, Former SportsCenter Anchor

Former SportsCenter anchors Stan Verrett and Neil Everett are starting their own live sports show on Twitch.

It will air Tuesdays and Fridays starting Sept. 9. pic.twitter.com/KvO3Srzj5i
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) August 25, 2025

When it comes to Oregon-related celebrities with current projects to promote and national relevancy, few come to mind quicker than former ESPN anchor Neil Everett.

Everett, a graduate of the University of Oregon in 1984, worked with ESPN for 23 years as primarily an anchor for the West Coast SportsCenter. He's also a Portland, Oregon, local from at least 2025, working with the Portland Trail Blazer's broadcast team.

On Sept. 9, Everett and fellow former SportsCenter anchor Stan Verrett launched their own Twitch sports show, "Stan and Neil Show", so Everett has a reason to go on the show to promote.

With his allegiance to the Ducks, connections to ESPN, and current project, there's a lot of reasons Everett might be the pick for the picks.

Kenjon Barner looks up at the fans as fireworks mark the end of the playing of the National Anthem before the Pac-12 Championship game. Eug 113021 Pac12 Champs 02 | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

No. 2 Kenjon Barner, Former Oregon Running Back & Broadcaster

Another Oregon related celebrity that could be guest picker is former running back and three time Super Bowl champion Kenjon Barner. The 2012 All-PAC-12 selected athlete is currently a social media personality for the Big Ten Network and made his debut on CBS Sports as an analyst this year.

Due to his name recognition with Ducks fans and current relevance on social media (he was even featured in a Ducks vs Them video hugging running back Dierre Hill Jr., which went viral), there's an argument to be made for him joining the GameDay desk.

Barner's current gigs might exclude him from being on GameDay.

First time at Penn State for @KBDeuce4 ‼️ You know he had to go on a quick jog to check out campus before the big game 🏃💨 pic.twitter.com/S8jQMCywBR
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 27, 2025

No. 3 Payton Pritchard, Boston Celtics Point Guard

Sep 29, 2025; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) talks with reporters during media day at the Auerbach Center. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

The "Wizard of West Linn," Boston Celtics point guard Payton Pritchard is a notable Oregon alumnus (2016-2020) that has yet to be on GameDay as a guest picker. The Oregon native just ended one of his best seasons yet, with a career high 43 points against the Portland Trail Blazers and won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award. He was the only athlete to be on every voting members' ballot and got 82 of 100 first place votes for the honor.

He also won an NBA Championship with the Celtics in 2024, visiting Autzen Stadium for interviews about the title win before the 2025 season.

However, Pritchard did suffer an injury during practice on Saturday, Oct. 4. Also being deep in practice on the East Coast could inhibit the basketball star from appearing on the popular show.

“It’s been very physical,” Pritchard said after suffering a gash to the neck in practice this week. “It’s definitely been a war out there. I am tired, but it’s good to push the body to these limits to get ready for the season. Definitely pushing ourselves.”

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Anthony Ramos, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glenn Powell at the Red Carpet premiere of Twisters, filmed in Oklahoma, at the Harkins Bricktown Theater Monday, July 15, 2024. | DOUG HOKE/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

No. 4 Glenn Powell as "Russ Holliday"

In terms of the "relevancy" aspect of picking GameDay guest celebrities, actor Glenn Powell might be an underwhelming, yet expected, pick for the Eugene broadcast.

Powell, a Texas Longhorns fan and current student, is an actor that just released a new series where he portrays a fictional Oregon Ducks quarterback named "Russ Holliday" in the sports comedy series Chad Powers.

Holliday, billed in the show as a less-than-stellar representation of the Ducks, begins to ruin his career with Oregon by dropping a ball right before a touchdown in a fictional Rose Bowl National Championship game against a fake Georgia Bulldogs team. More hijinks ensue, making Holliday go in disguise since the quarterback is so cancelled, he can never play football as himself.

Due to Chad Powers airing on Hulu, a Disney owned property, the tie in for Disney owned ESPN and GameDay seems too obvious to pass up. However, given Powell's lack of ties (beyond Chad Powers) to Oregon, Duck fans may not like this pick if announced.

ESPN s Lee Corso holds a duck at the University of Oregon as ESPN s College GameDay comes to Eugene ahead of the Ducks top-10 matchup against the UCLA Bruins Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022. News College Gameday | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

No. 5 Lee Corso, Former GameDay Co-Host

Though he retired as a regular co-host from GameDay at the start of the 2025 season, coach Lee Corso has ties to both the Ducks and Hoosiers, giving the football icon plenty of reasons to be the GameDay guest picker.

Corso has long claimed that the Oregon Duck is his favorite mascot. Oregon even aired a tribute to Corso during their first game against the Montana State Bobcats. However, Corso did not make the trip in 2024 to cover Oregon's game against the Ohio State Buckeyes, leading to The Duck holding up handwritten signs saying the fluffy fowl missed the coach.

Corso also coached at Indiana from 1973–1982 and was honored for his time with the Hoosiers last year. He also was just awarded the Medal of Freedom at last week's Miami vs Florida State game.

Other Quick Ideas For Guest Picker

- Cole Hocker: Long Distance Runner and Olympian. Won the 5000 meter race at the Track and Field World Championships this year and won a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.

- Damian Lillard: Nine-time NBA All-Star Point Guard. He just got traded back to the Portland Trail Blazers and is currently recovering from an Achilles injury, so he has time for the broadcast. He has no ties to the Ducks outside of living in Oregon and playing for Portland, so this is a long shot.

- Ty Burrell: The "Modern Family" actor is a well known Duck fan and attendee of the college, frequently seen on the sidelines at Oregon games. The actor was a commencement speaker for the college in 2021.