ESPN's flagship college football programme, College GameDay, was forced into a last-minute substitution on Saturday when its announced guest picker, former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, failed to appear without explanation.
A Mysterious Last-Minute Swap
Just moments before the segment was due to air live from College Station, Texas, host Rece Davis revealed that former Texas A&M basketball star and two-time NBA champion Alex Caruso would be stepping in. The show offered no reason for Manziel's abrupt absence, with analyst Pat McAfee simply thanking Caruso for 'stepping up'.
The switch came after Manziel had been publicly confirmed earlier in the week as the guest picker for the show's broadcast ahead of Texas A&M's playoff clash with the Miami Hurricanes. He had also been scheduled to feature on a Bleacher Report pregame show from Kyle Field at 10am, another commitment he did not honour.
The Miami Connection: A Late Night at the Fights
The reason for the tight turnaround became clear. On the Friday night prior, Manziel was photographed in the crowd at Miami's Kaseya Center for the high-profile boxing match between Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua. Joshua won the bout by knockout in the sixth round.
The fight concluded around midnight ET, leaving a narrow window for travel from Miami, Florida, to College Station, Texas, for the 9am ET start of College GameDay. Before the fight, Manziel had shared an Instagram photo of a vodka bottle in a hotel room, and he was seen at the ringside wearing a large, sparkling 'October's Very Own' chain.
From Heisman Heights to Controversial Comeback
Manziel, now 33, is a legendary figure at Texas A&M, having won the Heisman Trophy in 2012. His subsequent NFL career with the Cleveland Browns, which began in 2014, was derailed by a series of off-field issues including domestic violence incidents, partying, and dishonesty with the team, leading to his release in 2016.
In recent years, he has rebuilt his life as a business owner and podcast host, candidly discussing his past struggles, including a suicide attempt detailed in a 2023 Netflix documentary. His appearance on College GameDay in August 2024 had been seen as part of his redemption arc. ESPN and Manziel have yet to provide an official comment on Saturday's unexpected no-show.
