With "College GameDay" headed to Knoxville for one of the biggest matchups of the season, the big question remaining is who joins the ESPN crew onstage to pick between the Volunteers and the Texas Longhorns.
Should it be a Vols legend like Chamique Holdsclaw, Dalton Knecht or Peyton Manning? What about a Knoxville native like Johnny Knoxville, Leanne Morgan or Morgan Wallen?
We're asking you to cast your vote for who you'd like to see join the show Sept. 26, and we've included a few wild cards in the mix, including Jelly Roll, Kevin Hart and Eli Manning's alter ego, Chad Powers.
Need help deciding? We've laid out the case for each candidate below the poll.
Who should be the ESPN 'College GameDay' guest picker at Tennessee?
Bianca Belair | WWE superstar, Knoxville native, former Vols athlete
A student-athlete at Austin-East Magnet High School and UT, WWE superstar Bianca Belair has
established herself as one of the best professional wrestlers in the business. With "College GameDay" host Pat McAfee's ties to WWE and ESPN's partnership with the company, Belair would make sense as a return guest picker after serving in the role for Tennessee's game against Florida in 2022.
Big Orange ballers | Dalton Knecht or Tobias Harris
Tennessee basketball has produced no shortage of NBA talent, including fan favorite Dalton Knecht, who delivered one of the best seasons in program history in 2023-24 and has spent the past two seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers. Tobias Harris, a longtime NBA veteran, could also fit the bill after recently signing with the San Antonio Spurs following a run with Detroit to help the Pistons win their first playoff series in 18 years.
Eli Manning (or Chad Powers) | Former NFL quarterback, Arch's uncle
The Hulu series "Chad Powers" is based on a viral 2022 sketch in which Eli Manning disguised himself with a shaggy blond wig and prosthetic makeup to try out for Penn State as quarterback Chad Powers. With Disney owning both Hulu and ESPN, reviving the original Chad Powers could be a fun way to get a Manning involved while promoting Season 2 of the show.
Football fan-favorites | Josh Dobbs or Eric Berry
Few former Vols embody Tennessee's student-athlete tradition like Dobbs, the former quarterback who became an aerospace engineer and is now an NFL veteran with the Detroit Lions. Berry, meanwhile, remains one of the most beloved players in Tennessee football history, with a College Football Hall of Fame résumé and a legacy that still resonates on Rocky Top.
Glenn Jacobs | Knox County politician, WWE superstar Kane
WWE Hall of Fame wrestler Kane may have been billed from "Parts Unknown," but Knox County knew him as Mayor Glenn Jacobs for eight years. No longer in office, and with WWE and ESPN now partners, Jacobs could lean into his "Big Red Machine" persona or simply appear as himself to make his pick for the game.
Jelly Roll | Tennessee musician
Arguably Tennessee's biggest music star of the moment, Jelly Roll has become a frequent presence at Tennessee football games, including appearances at Neyland Stadium during each of the past two seasons. From joining the Vols' pushup tradition on the field in 2024 to visiting Neyland again in 2025, he's shown enough Big Orange spirit to make his case as a guest picker and could bring the kind of star power ESPN loves for these moments.
Johnny Knoxville | "Jackass" star, Knoxville native
The dare-deviling "Jackass" co-creator and Knoxville native has been spending more time in Knoxville recently, hyping up the Neyland Stadium crowd last season and visiting South-Doyle High School earlier this year to unveil the weight room he helped fund through specialty merch sales. A live TV audience is the perfect stage for his brand of chaos, and few potential guest pickers would bring more energy to "College GameDay" in Knoxville.
Kelsea Ballerini | Country musician, Knoxville native
Though homecoming isn't until November when Tennessee takes on Kentucky, a "College GameDay" appearance would be a great reason for Kelsea Ballerini to visit her hometown of Knoxville after trading Tennessee for New York City. After all, she built an entire hit song around her love for East Tennessee in "Half of My Hometown."
Kevin Hart | Comedian, actor with a tie to the Vols
Hendrix Hart, the son of Kevin Hart, is a freshman on the Tennessee track and field team. After the world-famous comedian and actor was spotted on campus Sept. 19 for the Kennesaw State game, it wouldn't be a total shock to see him bring his connection to Tennessee athletics and funny-guy persona to the "College GameDay" stage.
Kenny Chesney | Country musician, Knoxville native
Kenny Chesney could get back into the good graces of Vols fans with a "College GameDay" appearance afterleaving Knoxville off his latest list of tour dates. The Gibbs High School graduate is a Tennessee football fan and one of the few performers to put on a concert at Neyland Stadium in the venue's history.
Lady Vols legends | Candace Parker or Chamique Holdsclaw
Two of the greatest players in Lady Vols history, Parker and Holdsclaw were both inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame this year and remain among Tennessee's most recognizable basketball ambassadors. Parker was the guest picker in Knoxville last year, but who says she can't run it back?
Leanne Morgan | Comedian, East Tennessee native
The Tennessee native and UT graduate is coming off a major career milestone after her Netflix sitcom, "Leanne," became an Emmy winner this month. With deep ties to Knoxville and Rocky Top, she'd bring a hometown connection and plenty of laughs to the "College GameDay" set at a moment when her profile has never been higher.
Morgan Wallen | Country musician, Knoxville native
The neon star from Knoxville by way of Sneedville has already taken over Neyland Stadium, drawing a record-breaking 156,161 fans across two concerts. Morgan Wallen has remained closely tied to Tennessee athletics, most recently releasing Vols-themed merchandise ahead of the Tennessee-Texas showdown, making a "College GameDay" appearance feel like a natural fit.
Peyton Manning | Former Tennessee, NFL quarterback
Tennessee football great Peyton Manning is not only an obvious choice for the matchup, it also might be ESPN's dream to make Manning pick between the Vols and his nephew, Texas quarterback Arch Manning, on live TV. He has been diplomatic about the matchup so far, saying in June he pulls for his alma mater unconditionally but that nothing is more important than family.
Rick Barnes | Current Tennessee, former Texas basketball coach
The Tennessee basketball coach is one of the most recognizable figures in Vols sports, but his ties to this matchup go beyond Knoxville. Barnes spent 17 seasons as Texas' head coach before building Tennessee into a national basketball powerhouse, giving him connections to both sides of one of the biggest games on the college football schedule.
Softball stars | Karlyn Pickens or Monica Abbott
Tennessee softball has produced some of the biggest names in the sport, from Abbott, one of the most decorated pitchers in program history, to Pickens, whose record-breaking velocity made her one of the most recognizable Vols in recent memory, period. Knoxville knows Tennessee isn't just a football school anymore, and either athlete would be a chance for "College GameDay" to showcase another championship-caliber Tennessee program.
Theo Von | Tennessee-based comedian with Knoxville history
Standup comedian and podcast host Theo Von calls Nashville home and has taken time out of his busy schedule to visit Knoxville to show support for the Vols. He visited West Town Mall in 2024 to help Morgan Wallen with a Hurricane Helene relief drive after finding his way onto the field with Barstool Sports' Caleb Pressley in 2022 to dump a Gatorade cooler on Josh Heupel following Tennessee's win over Florida.
Tennessee women's sports reporter Cora Hall contributed background on potential guest pickers to this report.
Ryan Wilusz is the business growth and development editor for Knox News. Email: ryan.wilusz@knoxnews.com; Cell: 865-317-5138; Instagram: @knoxscruff.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Vote for Tennessee 'GameDay' picker - will it be Johnny, Jelly, Manning or Morgan?
