Will Patrick Mahomes be at Texas Tech’s “College GameDay”?

For the first time since that unforgettable 2008 season, when Texas Tech stunned No. 1 Texas in front of a roaring Lubbock crowd (ahh, I remember it like it was yesterday), ESPN’s “College GameDay” is heading back to West Texas. The iconic pregame show will set up in Lubbock on November 8 to preview a top-10 showdown between the No. 9 Red Raiders (8-1) and No. 8 BYU (8-0), a matchup with major College Football Playoff implications.

For fans unfamiliar, “College GameDay” is ESPN’s traveling Saturday morning football show that captures the spirit, sights, and sound of the biggest games each week. The broadcast is as much a cultural event as it is a football preview, complete with fan signs, celebrity guests, and, of course, the highly anticipated “guest picker” segment.

And this week, one question is being asked more than any other in Lubbock: Will Patrick Mahomes be there?

Mahomes’ presence at “College GameDay”

The story sells itself. Mahomes is not only the most decorated athlete in Texas Tech history - a two-time NFL MVP, three-time Super Bowl MVP, and the face of the Kansas City Chiefs dynasty - but he also happens to be on his bye week in the NFL. That timing has fueled rampant speculation that he’ll make his triumphant return to Jones AT&T Stadium for the first “College GameDay” in Lubbock in 17 years.

Head coach Joey McGuire may have added fuel to the fire when he told reporters on November 2 that Mahomes was already set to attend the game. If that’s true, the odds of him serving as the show’s guest picker - the celebrity who joins the hosts to predict the weekend’s biggest matchups - just skyrocketed.

Imagine the scene: Mahomes on the GameDay stage, the sea of red and black behind him, and the chants of “Raider! Power!” echoing through campus. For Texas Tech fans, it would be a full-circle moment, from his college days lighting up scoreboards to his return as one of the most recognizable athletes in the world.

If not Mahomes, then who?

Of course, if Mahomes’ plans change, or if ESPN goes in a different direction, there are a few other strong candidates who could step into the spotlight.

Michael Crabtree is one of the most obvious alternatives. The former Red Raider receiver was the hero of that 2008 upset over Texas, famously catching the game-winning touchdown that sealed Tech’s legendary win. As a two-time Biletnikoff Award winner and one of the most dominant receivers in college football history, Crabtree would bring nostalgia and credibility to the stage.

Wes Welker could also make sense, though his current role as an assistant coach with the Washington Commanders might complicate logistics. A fan favorite and four-time All-Pro, Welker embodies the underdog-to-legend story that resonates deeply with Tech fans.

Whether it’s Mahomes or another Red Raider great, “College GameDay’s” return to Lubbock will be a celebration of Texas Tech football and West Texas pride. If Patrick Mahomes walks onto that stage Saturday morning, “College GameDay” won’t just be a sports broadcast. It’ll be a homecoming worthy of a legend.

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