College Gameday in Miami: Who Should be the Celebrity Guest?

It’s happening! The Hurricanes continued their winning ways last weekend, dispatching their coastal division rivals the Virginia Tech Hokies. The win will moved Miami up from tenth to seventh in the latest College Football Playoff rankings.

With the win, Miami hosts a rival from the past: Notre Dame. Who, similar to the ‘Canes, has ambitions of making the top four of the CFB playoff field. Sounds like a perfect environment for ESPN’s College GameDay to make its long-awaited return to Miami.

Yes, Miami will serve as the backdrop for the Saturday morning staple which features waves of signs, stories, campus pan shots and—of course—the headgear selection of Lee Corso to close out the show. It’s everything a ‘Canes fan could ever want, right? Well, we’re feeling a bit greedy, we want the wins, we want the national attention and we don’t mind the hate that comes along with it all. Maybe the hate is based in the popularity of the ‘Turnover Chain’. It could be because the Hurricanes are riding a 13-game win streak that dates back to last season. Before the world finds out whether Lee Corso puts on a Sebastian head or a green hat, we at State of the U are curious about something else: Who will be the celebrity guest picker?

If there is one thing that Miami does not lack, it’s celebrity. From former players to Hollywood stars to members of the media, there’s a large pool of potential candidates to pull from. So why not help ESPN out and brainstorm some picks that would be perfect for the job?

Ed Reed

Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Notably absent from Miami’s Ring of Honor Ceremony last month, Reed had other obligations to tend to that day. However, it was announced that he would be receiving his commemorative ring in a ceremony when Notre Dame came into town. Reed has had various stints picking games working on Showtime’s Inside the NFL, and has always been entertaining both on and off the field. Assuming he’s in attendance, this would be a fitting selection.

Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez

Attending the Virginia Tech game last weekend, the celebrity duo endeared themselves to the Miami community further by wearing their own ‘Turnover Chain’. Alex Rodriguez has donated to the U, and JLO remains a pop icon. Given that GameDay has featured the likes of Katy Perry in the past, this is not out of the realm of possibility. The biggest hindrance may be that neither attended the U, but that requirement is not always necessary, considering Lil Wayne was the guest picker for LSU.

Ray Lewis

One of Miami’s greatest players ever, we would likely see Lewis perform the ‘squirrel dance’, and he would probably take his pick selection seriously. The only flaw with this pick is that Not-Ray Lewis would be just as good, if not better.

Warren Sapp

Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Warren Sapp would be our pick for the most rated R guest selection. Sapp usually has no filter telling you in the most frank way possible what his opinions are. Therefore, Sapp would be the ideal throwback to the days of old when comparing the current team with the teams of Miami past. The only hesitation for picking Sapp is what we listed as his strength.

Michael Irvin

The playmaker is no stranger to the big spotlight or TV cameras. Working for NFL Network’s GameDay Morning, he has experience sitting on a panel and giving pick selections. Do you think he’ll pick the Cowboys to win on Saturday? There are few other celebrities on this list that make more sense.

Jonathan Vilma

Vilma was a member of the the greatest team in college football history, the 2001 Miami Hurricanes. Vilma is also an employee of ESPN, which means it would not be tough to reach out to get him to come on the show. Vilma is one of Miami’s more composed, intelligent and exemplary celebrities. If he’s able to do double duty from Miami this, too, would be a good pick.

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

This is the home run selection. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is as A-List celeb as it gets. Of course, when you’re as big as a star as The Rock is, your schedule is pretty full—whether it’s filming a movie or a commercial, making a charitable donation or just finally enjoying some downtime. How cool would it be to see him raise that eyebrow and deliver a couple of his patented catchphrases… if you SMELL what we’re cooking?

The Dark Horse Candidates

Vince Wilfork

Unkle Luke

Drew Rosenhaus

Jim Kelly

Pitbull

Rick Ross

DJ Khaled

Who would you like to see be the celebrity guest picker? Let us know in the comments section. Start making those signs, because guess who’s coming to your city!

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE U!