For ESPN’s “College GameDay,” the times are a-changin’. On Thursday, the show announced that its next guest picker will be Oscar-nominated actor Timothée Chalamet.
Chalamet will join the show in the Peach State, where “College GameDay” will be set up ahead of the SEC title game. The matchup, between No. 5 Georgia and No. 2 Texas, will take place in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The choice is surprising. Chalamet, who is a New York native, is a noted soccer fan, and a fan of the Knicks and Mets, but has not expressed much interest in American football. The 28-year-old actor also seemingly doesn’t have a connection to either school, which is typical for a guest picker.
Guest pickers from earlier this year included actor Keegan-Michael Key, pitcher Paul Skenes and gymnast Livvy Dunne, swimmer Michael Phelps, college basketball head coach Dawn Staley and former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch. All of these pickers graduated from or were otherwise involved in the schools that were hosting “College GameDay” that week.
Chalamet is in the middle of promoting the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown,” which is coming out on Christmas Day. The film is being distributed by Searchlight Pictures, which is owned by the same parent company — Disney — as ESPN.
Georgia and Texas, who are 10-2 and 11-1, respectively, have both already hosted “College GameDay” this season. The Bulldogs handed the Longhorns their only loss of the season in October.
The winner Saturday will earn a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff, while the loser is still very likely to make the playoff field.