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Tennessee football vs. Florida: 15 best celebrity guest picker options for College GameDay

By Caleb Calhoun

UT Alum Peyton Manning in the stands during the first round of the NCAA Knoxville Super Regionals between Tennessee and Notre Dame at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee on Friday, June 10, 2022.Tennvsndbaseball 0191
UT Alum Peyton Manning in the stands during the first round of the NCAA Knoxville Super Regionals between Tennessee and Notre Dame at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee on Friday, June 10, 2022.Tennvsndbaseball 0191 /
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Country music and sports legends run deep in East Tennessee. That’s why with College GameDay headed to Knoxville this weekend for the matchup between Tennessee football and the Florida Gators, there is a plethora of celebrities the crew can choose from to find their celebrity guest picker. Who’s the best option, though?

As we get set to break down everybody ESPN should look at, we’re going to eliminate people who have been guest pickers with the Vols before. That knocks out Phillip Fulmer and Steve Spurrier, who did the picks for UT-Florida in Knoxville in 2016, and it knocks out Kenny Chesney, who did it way back in 2012.

Also, while his name keeps coming up, Morgan Wallen won’t come on. Fair or not, there is too much recent controversy surrounding him, and ESPN will try to avoid that. Still, there are other stars. These are College GameDay’s top 15 options for celebrity guest picker between Tennessee football and Florida.

Here are the best choices for ESPN’s College GameDay as a celebrity guest picker Saturday between the Tennessee football Volunteers and the Gators.

Kellie Harper speaks at a press conference at the CATCH98 film premiere at the University of Tennessee Student Union in Knoxville, Tenn. on Tuesday, June 21, 2022. CATCH98 features Tamika Catchings and recounts the story of the 1997-98 Tennessee Lady Vols.Kns Catch98 Premiere
Kellie Harper speaks at a press conference at the CATCH98 film premiere at the University of Tennessee Student Union in Knoxville, Tenn. on Tuesday, June 21, 2022. CATCH98 features Tamika Catchings and recounts the story of the 1997-98 Tennessee Lady Vols.Kns Catch98 Premiere /

15. Kellie Harper

She was on campus winning national championships for the Tennessee Lady Vols when the rivalry was at its apex, including that 1998 legendary win on Rocky Top. Now, Kellie Harper is the coach of the women’s basketball program, which is looking to have its best team since the last one to reach the Final Four, Pat Summitt’s 2008 national champions.

Add in the fact that it’s the 50th anniversary of Title IX, which played a huge role in women’s basketball taking off on Rocky Top, and why not have Kellie Harper come on as a guest picker? It would serve as a reminder that while Fulmer missed on football, he nailed it with this hire.

A lot of the optimism on campus right now surrounds Tennessee football potentially being restored to prominence, but Harper is doing the same thing with the Lady Vols. She was there when UT was defending national champions in football and women’s basketball at the same time, so having her make picks would fit.

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