Potential Guest Pickers for College GameDay at Boise State vs. Oregon State

ESPN's "College GameDay" visits Boise, Idaho, on Saturday for a Pac-12 matchup between Boise State and Oregon State, the show's first visit outside the Power Four in 2026.

Yahoo Sports reported that the show will arrive on-site for the Week 11 clash, returning to the Group of Six powerhouse for the first time since 2010. That previous appearance also featured a matchup against the Beavers.

As the broadcast team of Pat McAfee, Kirk Herbstreit, and Nick Saban prepares for the trip, speculation has turned to who will serve as the celebrity guest picker. Yahoo Sports said that while running back Ashton Jeanty and former quarterback Kellen Moore would be the most obvious local choices, both are unlikely to appear due to NFL games on Sunday, Nov. 15.

Congratulations to Boise State Online MBA alum @HilaryKnight on winning Olympic gold with the United State’s women’s ice hockey team! Go Team USA, and go Broncos! Photo credit: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images Sport via Getty Images pic.twitter.com/RJgbOnNFav

— Post by @BoiseState on X

With those frontrunners unavailable, a list of alternative candidates has emerged across sports media. Sports Illustrated reported several potential options, ranging from Olympic athletes to musicians and former players with ties to Idaho.

Among the sports figures floated by Yahoo Sports is Hilary Knight, captain of the United States gold-medal-winning hockey team at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Knight earned her Master of Business Administration online through Boise State.

Another possible candidate is former running back Jay Ajayi, who played at Boise State from 2011 to 2014, won a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017, and rushed for 1,272 yards for the Miami Dolphins in 2016.

Another popular historical candidate is Ian Johnson, who scored the game-winning two-point conversion on the famous “Statue of Liberty” play against Oklahoma in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl. Former first-round draft pick Leighton Vander Esch, a native of Riggins, Idaho, who starred for the Broncos from 2014 to 2017, has also been mentioned as a possibility. Vander Esch played six seasons for the Dallas Cowboys and was named a second-team All-Pro in 2018.

Celebrities outside of athletics have also entered the conversation. Sports Illustrated and Yahoo Sports both highlighted actor Aaron Paul, best known for his role in “Breaking Bad.” Other names circulating include musician Post Malone, former NFL head coach Chuck Pagano, and former UFC champion Ronda Rousey.

Potential Guest Pickers for College GameDay at Boise State vs. Oregon State — Photo: si.com

Sports Illustrated added that former Boise State player Scott Matlock publicly campaigned for the role on social media, writing on X, “@CollegeGameDay I can be the guest picker for college gameday? Born & raised Boise native + BSU alumni 🤷🏼‍♂️”

Boise State enters the weekend holding an 8-1 record and a 5-0 conference mark, while Oregon State stands at 5-4 overall and 3-2 in Pac-12 play. The broadcast will run from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Mountain time ahead of the afternoon kickoff.