Could Sneedville native Morgan Wallen finally be heading back to the University of Tennessee?
According to his latest “MW X UT” merch collaboration, fans seem to think so. Last Friday, the country music superstar unveiled a fresh line of apparel in partnership with the Knoxville school, featuring everything from co-branded T-shirts and a Vols sweatshirt to hats showcasing Wallen’s signature bear dressed in a UT football uniform.
However, the one piece in particular that caught everyone’s eye was the Tennessee Vs Texas camo T-shirt. Printed on the front of the Realtree camo-printed tee is this Saturday’s matchup between the two “UT” schools, along with the September 26 date and Neyland Stadium location. The sleeve also features Wallen’s signature bar logo.
While the shirt could simply be a fitting collaboration for the outspoken Vols fan— whose debut 2016 hit “The Way I Talk” served as Tennessee’s fourth-quarter transition anthem for the past two seasons— some fans think it could be hinting at something much bigger. This Saturday’s Rocky Top game also happens to be the host spot for College GameDay, with ESPN’s hosts and analysts Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Nick Saban, and Pat McAfee taking over UT’s lawn of Ayres Hall.
Based on this sneaky clothing design, many can’t help but question if the 33-year-old “TN” singer might be taking the hot seat as the celebrity guest picker for Saturday’s game. After all, just a few weeks ago, ESPN welcomed fellow country star Lainey Wilson as a surprise GameDay guest, where she performed and joined the crew as a guest picker ahead of the September 5 LSU-Clemson matchup.
There’s also the fact that Wallen’s already has an in with the Vols team, after inviting a couple of the football players and head coach, Josh Heupel, to walk out with him (and Peyton Manning) during his September 2024 show.
The Fox Sports Knoxville Fan Run Radio account on Instagram, @fanrunsports, has continued to fuel the speculation on social media with many Wallen fans piping in on the undeniably epic potential crossover:
Unfortunately, given Wallen’s limited public appearances and the lack of any concrete hints beyond the T-shirt drop, he’s far from confirmed as Saturday’s surprise guest. Fans have thrown out plenty of other possibilities, though, including Texas representative Matthew McConaughey, Kevin Hart (whose son is apparently a freshman at Tennessee), and even fellow country star and Knoxville native, Kenny Chesney. And, of course, there’s the obvious choice: UT alum and longtime ESPN favorite Peyton Manning, who is the uncle of Arch Manning, the QB for Texas.
Time will tell as the big day etches closer with the broadcast airing live from 9 a.m. to noon ET on ESPN.