Will Johnny Manziel Appear on College GameDay this Year?

Johnny Football could be heading back to College Station, for an afternoon, at least.

According to Kalshi, the former Texas A&M quarterback currently has a 33% chance of appearing on the show before 2027, with “No” favored at 67%.

ESPN loves to grab headlines with their GameDay guest-pickers, and tried to have Manziel on last season. This was prior to A&M's CFB Playoff game against Miami, but he had to drop out at the last minute due to illness.

For Manziel to return to the set, College GameDay most likely needs to visit College Station.

The currently #8-ranked Aggies have a few opportunities, but two home games stand out.

Texas A&M hosts Tennessee on November 14 before closing the regular season at Kyle Field against Texas on November 27. The Tennessee game has been placed in a flexible afternoon/night TV window, while the Texas rivalry game is already locked into a 6:30 p.m. ET broadcast on ABC.

That Texas game is the obvious one, featuring one of College Football's top rivalries.

If both teams are still nationally relevant by late November, a Texas-Texas A&M rivalry game at Kyle Field would have all the ingredients for a GameDay stop. The rivalry only returned in 2024 after a 13-year absence, giving ESPN another reason to lean into the matchup.

Tennessee could also become a possibility depending on how the season develops. A&M enters 2026 ranked No. 8, so it won't necessarily need a surprise season to put itself in the national conversation.

The schedule does make things slightly tougher. Some of A&M's biggest games, including LSU, Alabama, and Oklahoma, are on the road, leaving fewer marquee opportunities for College Station.

If GameDay does end up in College Station, Manziel is immediately the most obvious guest-picker candidate. He's got the big name, local connections, and the propensity to grab headlines (for better or worse).

He has already done it once, appearing when GameDay was hosted by Texas A&M for its 2024 opener against Notre Dame.

ESPN then tried to bring him back for Texas A&M's playoff matchup last season, before he abruptly dropped out and was replaced by Alex Caruso.

He's also appeared on The Pat McAfee Show a number of times over the past few years, though notably not since last season's GameDay absence.

Manziel doesn't necessarily need ESPN to suddenly decide it wants Johnny Football back. The network has already made that decision several times.

Instead, the bigger question may be whether Texas A&M gives College GameDay a reason to come calling.

With Tennessee and Texas both visiting Kyle Field late in the season, 33% doesn't look particularly unreasonable.