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ESPN College GameDay announces Ken Jeong as celebrity guest picker for Duke vs. Notre Dame

ns_headshot_2024-clearby: Nick Schultz09/28/23NickSchultz_7
Actor Ken Jeong as ESPN College GameDay's guest picker in 2021
© Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

When ESPN College GameDay makes its first trip to Duke this week, the Blue Devils will see a famous alumnus on the set. Actor Ken Jeong will be the celebrity guest picker, he announced via social media Thursday.

This isn’t Jeong’s first time serving as College GameDay’s guest picker. He previously did so in 2021 ahead of Michigan vs. Michigan State. This time, he’ll be representing his alma mater instead of his home state.

“Hi, it’s Ken Jeong, and I will be the celebrity guest picker on ESPN College GameDay this Saturday at my alma mater, Duke University,” Jeong said in a video. “This is GameDay’s first-ever trip to Duke, and your boy is Duke’s first-ever guest picker. Tune in this Saturday at around 11:30 a.m. to see my picks. Let’s go, Duke, and see you soon.”

Jeong graduated from Duke in 1990 and got his M.D. from North Carolina in 1995. He started practicing medicine in 1996, but started getting into acting in 1998. In 2006, he became a full-time actor and became known for roles in The Hangover, Crazy Rich Asians, Community and more.

Duke and Notre Dame are set to square off under the lights at Wallace Wade Stadium Saturday night in a ranked showdown. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC. Notre Dame is a 5.5-point favorite despite heading out on the road, according to FanDuel.

What’s at stake in Notre Dame vs. Duke

Saturday will be the Fighting Irish’s second prime time game in as many weeks after last week’s thriller against Ohio State, which the Buckeyes won at the last second to hand Notre Dame its first loss of the year.

Duke, meanwhile, started the year on the big stage against Clemson and pulled off a massive 28-7 upset at home. The Blue Devils haven’t slowed down, bringing a 4-0 record into Saturday’s matchup behind an impressive defense and solid quarterback play from Riley Leonard. He averages 194 passing yards and 59 rushing yards per game to lead the Duke offense.

It’s shaping up to be a battle, and Notre Dame running back Audric Estime knows it.

“We’re Notre Dame, every game for us is a big game,” Estime told On3’s Andy Staples during Tuesday’s episode of Andy Staples On3. “It’s definitely a big game for them. We know they’re going to come out with all they got. But so are we.

“We’re going to come out on fire.”