College Football HQ

‘College GameDay’ announces celebrity guest picker for Pittsburgh-Notre Dame

Rowan Fisher Shotton|
ESPN personality Kirk Herbstreit speaks during College GameDay before a Big 12 Conference football game at Jones AT&T Stadium.
ESPN personality Kirk Herbstreit speaks during College GameDay before a Big 12 Conference football game at Jones AT&T Stadium. | Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Pittsburgh PanthersNotre Dame Fighting Irish

College GameDay returns to the Steel City with a hometown hero in the spotlight.

Former All-American defensive tackle for the Panthers from 2010-2013, Aaron Donald, will see his No. 97 retired on Saturday as No. 22 Pittsburgh hosts No. 9 Notre Dame in one of the biggest matchups of the Week 12 college football slate.

Beyond that recognition, he's also expected to be on-site as ESPN College GameDay's celebrity guest picker.

The national pregame show will be broadcast from Pittsburgh's North Shore ahead of the game at Acrisure Stadium, and the university has scheduled a halftime ceremony honoring Donald.

Donald’s senior season remains one of the most decorated defensive campaigns in modern college football.

In 2013, he posted 59 tackles, 28.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks, finished as the NCAA leader in tackles for loss, and swept the major defensive awards (Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Chuck Bednarik Award, Outland Trophy and Rotary Lombardi Award), while earning unanimous All-America honors and ACC Defensive Player of the Year.

Those seasons established him as a hometown legend (born in Penn Hills, Pennsylvania) and the obvious candidate for the program’s highest honors.

After Pitt, Donald was chosen 13th overall in the 2014 NFL Draft and went on to an era-defining pro career with the Rams.

Over ten NFL seasons, he collected 111 sacks and 543 total tackles, won three AP Defensive Player of the Year awards, earned 10 Pro Bowl honors, eight All-Pro selections, and capped his career with a Super Bowl LVI ring.

Donald publicly announced his retirement in March 2024 after a decorated decade with the franchise, ending his career with a Hall of Fame resume.

Former Pittsburgh Panthers and Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams former player Aaron Donald looks on before an MLS Cup Playoffs Round One match between LAFC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC at BMO Stadium. | Alex Gallardo-Imagn Images

Looking ahead to Saturday’s game, fans will get to witness a pair of 7-2 programs fighting for postseason positioning.

Notre Dame enters as one of the hottest teams in the country, riding a seven-game win streak after a Week 11 thrashing of Navy (49-10).

The Panthers, meanwhile, are enjoying a five-game win streak capped off by their latest 35-20 road victory at Stanford.

Even with Donald in attendance and the benefit of home field, oddsmakers still favor Notre Dame by 12.5 points.

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Rowan Fisher
ROWAN FISHER SHOTTON

Rowan Fisher-Shotton is a versatile journalist known for sharp analysis, player-driven storytelling, and quick-turn coverage across CFB, CBB, the NBA, WNBA, and NFL. A Wilfrid Laurier alum and lifelong athlete, he’s written for FanSided, Pro Football Network, Athlon Sports, and Newsweek, tackling every beat with both a reporter’s edge and a player’s eye.

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