Brooks Nader Goes Viral Twice in One Day at LSU as Baton Rouge Turns Into a Celebrity Circus

College football saw one of its big stories Saturday without having a single snap of football played by Model Brooks Nader.

Nader, a former Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, appeared on ESPN's College GameDay. She appeared on screen holding a drink and wearing a tiger-striped corset top with her name on it, on a crowded stage. Promoting the energy drink Celsius, the clip quickly spread across social media.

Just a few hours later, she went viral once more.

The new LSU coach Lane Kiffin walked down Victory Hill for his first game as a coach of the Tigers with Model Brooks Nader, retired LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne, and comedian and podcaster Theo Von walking next to him. On3's Wilson Alexander captured the scene and shared it widely online.

The online reaction was quick. While one post from the Brandon Walker College Football Show called Kiffin the baddest man in college football, another one said the entrance was the trending moment. Some voices disagreed, though. In a Yahoo Sports column, the entrance was called corny, and the columnist said LSU was inviting the circus by hiring Lane Kiffin. At 29 years old, Nader won the Sports Illustrated Swim Search in 2019 and appeared in SI in 2020, 2021, and 2022, becoming a cover model in 2023.

Her connection to LSU runs in the family. Nader's grandfather, Sam Nader, was one of LSU's longest-serving football staffers. Nader has already gone viral at Tiger Stadium, particularly when LSU defeated Alabama in 2022.

Dunne is also familiar to the Baton Rouge crowd. The LSU gymnast played for LSU's women's team, which won the 2024 national championship, and became one of the country's most popular college athletes. LSU officials noted that the game against Clemson has been the largest media and celebrity coverage in Tiger Stadium history. Built in 1924, Tiger Stadium has a long history as one of the oldest active football stadiums.

The night also saw the 500th College GameDay road show. Country artist Lainey Wilson appeared on the pre-game show dressed up in Tigers gear. Speaking about all the attention on Saturday's broadcast, Lane Kiffin said he told his team to stay focused and not to listen to any noise because doing great things always brings hate. He became LSU's coach after a six-year stint at Ole Miss.

Clemson game finished LSU's home-and-home series that began with LSU's 17-10 victory over Clemson in South Carolina in 2025. Originally scheduled for 6:30 pm CT on ABC, the game was postponed due to lightning at 5:39 pm and kicked off at 8:40 pm.