Morgan Freeman is heading back to Oxford

Morgan Freeman is heading back to Oxford

Morgan Freeman is heading back to Oxford. The Academy Award winner will serve as celebrity guest picker on ESPN's "College GameDay" this Saturday, a cameo he revealed himself during an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show." The pregame show β€” hosted by McAfee alongside Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, Nick Saban and Kirk Herbstreit β€” will broadcast live from Ole Miss ahead of the Rebels' showdown with LSU.

Freeman's Mississippi roots make him a natural fit for the spot. He grew up in the state, has long been an Ole Miss supporter, and holds an honorary degree from the university. His appearance adds an extra layer of intrigue to a game already carrying plenty of storylines, including LSU coach Lane Kiffin facing the program he left abruptly last season. Both Ole Miss and LSU enter Saturday undefeated at 2-0.

Freeman, 89, told McAfee the invitation was one he couldn't turn down β€” thanks in part to his personal ties to the school. "I'm tied up with this lady who is a professor at Ole Miss and we're intimate with what happens there," he said. "I'm looking forward to being there on Saturday." Beyond football, Freeman is also known to show up courtside at Ole Miss basketball games.

Saturday's broadcast marks just the third time "College GameDay" has set up in Oxford, and the first trip there since 2021, when pop star Katy Perry took the guest picker role for the Rebels.

On the screen, Freeman currently appears in Paramount+'s "Lioness" alongside Zoe SaldaΓ±a and Nicole Kidman, with the show's third season now airing. His most recent film credit came last year in "Now You See Me: Now You Don't," released in 2025.