Johnny Manziel no longer guest picker on ESPN College GameDay, replaced by Alex Caruso

Johnny Manziel was supposed to be the guest picker on ESPN College GameDay in College Station ahead of Texas A&M vs. Miami. However, this no longer appears to be the case.

During the College GameDay broadcast, former Aggies basketball player Alex Caruso was promoted as the celebrity guest picker. Caruso played for Texas A&M from 2012-2016 before going undrafted.

Caruso has since carved out a strong career for himself in the NBA and has been a mainstay in the association for nine years. He’s played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls and Oklahoma City Thunder and is a two-time NBA champion (2020, 2025).

Manziel, of course, is a legend in College Station after a prolific career as the Aggies quarterback from 2011-2013. He won the Heisman Trophy in 2012 before becoming a first-round pick by the Cleveland Browns in the 2014 NFL Draft. He spent a couple of years in the NFL before playing in various football leagues until entering retirement in 2022.

While he won’t be on the panel, it’s hard to imagine Manziel picking against his Aggies. The same goes for Caruso, who is now set to pick in Manziel’s place.

Saturday’s matchup vs. the Hurricanes serves as Texas A&M’s first-ever College Football Playoff game. Getting to host the matchup as the No. 7 seed, they’ll host a Miami team that is also in the CFP for the first time in its program’s history.

Historically, Miami and Texas A&M have played only five times previously. This includes matchups as non-conference opponents during a home-and-home series in 2022 and 2023 that the home team won each time.

The ‘Canes hold a 3-2 all-time advantage with the most recent win, 48-33, on Sept. 9, 2023 from Miami Gardens. But the season prior, the Aggies won 17-9 on Sept. 17, 2022 in College Station.

Kickoff between the Aggies and Hurricanes is set for Noon ET and will air live on ABC and ESPN. It’s the first game of a College Football Playoff triple-header that also features matchups between Ole Miss and Tulane and a nightcap of Oregon vs. James Madison.

Alabama became the first team to advance to the quarterfinals after beating Oklahoma 34-24 on Friday night after trailing 17-0 in the first half. They’ll take on No. 1 seed Indiana in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.