South Carolina football is gearing up to host ESPN's "College GameDay" for the first time since 2014, and the city of Columbia, will likely celebrate the occasion in full force, ahead of the Gamecocks game vs LSU.

The pre-show, which runs at 9 a.m. until noon every Saturday, is anchored by Rece Davis and features analysts Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Steve Coughlin, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee and Nick Saban. Each week, a guest picker is featured on the show, typically with ties to one of the two teams featured on the show that week. In Week 2 on Saturday, the featured game was Michigan vs. Texas, and Olympian Michael Phelps was he guest picker, who has ties to Michigan, but guest pickers aren't always athletes.

Here are our five choices for Saturday's guest picker in Columbia, in no particular order:

Dawn Staley, South Carolina women's basketball coach

Who better to be featured on ESPN than three-time national championship winning coach Dawn Staley? Coach Shane Beamer speaks highly of Staley and what she's done for the school, so it would be fitting that Staley comes onto the show and talks some Gamecocks football.

Plus, after Paris, when she was on NBC's halftime show during the men's basketball game, she proved she isn't afraid of a little commentary on TV.

Darius Rucker

Darius Rucker was the guest picker when the Gamecocks hosted "College GameDay" for their game against Georgia in 2012. While it's unlikely he'll be asked again, it's obvious why he fits the part if he does end up with another appearance.

Rucker formed his iconic band, Hootie and the Blowfish right in Columbia, after meeting band members when they were students at South Carolina. Rucker is a beloved part of the sports community, and in Columbia's Five Points area, there is a monument acknowledging Hootie & the Blowfish.

Steve Spurrier, former South Carolina football coach

Steve Spurrier coached the Gamecocks from 2005-15. Spurrier is the winningest football coach at South Carolina, and was inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame as both a player and coach. Nobody has the accolades to speak about the history of football in Columbia in the last 20 years like Spurrier has.

Jackie Bradley Jr., two-time NCAA baseball champion

This might be a little random, but Jackie Bradley Jr, won two national championships at South Carolina, and it might be fun to have a former student athlete's perspective on the show. He was named the 2010 College World Series Most Outstanding Player, and played under former baseball coach Ray Tanner, the current athletic director for South Carolina.

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Xavier Legette, former South Carolina wide receiver

Legette was a fundamental part of South Carolina's offense last year, and can give a first-hand perspective on current quarterback LaNorris Sellers, Beamer's coaching and offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains' philosophies. He was drafted in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. "College GameDay" starts at 9 a.m. and the Panthers play at home next Sunday, so logistically it may work out for Legette. It's a quieter name personality wise, but it's a big game for the Gamecocks, and ESPN might go a former player route.

Former South Carolina women's basketball player and current WNBA star A'ja Wilson would be another great option, but the Las Vegas Aces play both Friday and Sunday of next week.

Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: College GameDay: 5 potential guest pickers for South Carolina vs LSU