Texas native turned Hollywood heartthrob Glen Powell might be a diehard Longhorns fan, but he did trade in the hook ’em vibes for a surprise visit at another university’s graduation this year.
Powell made a commencement cameo at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, last weekend, complete with his own cap, gown and aptly colored orange stole. A slew of Mercer students shared footage of his surprise appearance on TikTok, including user @lggroover, who captioned a now-viral video of the Top Gun: Maverick at graduation with: “POV Glen Powell is shooting a movie on campus during graduation and casually walks in w you.”
That video, viewed 3.5 million times and liked by over 600,000 users, came with plenty of praise and quips for the native Austinite, with @wellnesspetfood writing, “literally side questmaxxing,” while @kiyxh2.0 deadpanned, “two truths and a lie would go crazy.”
Other TikTok sleuths shared videos of Powell dressed in full graduation attire while being filmed by camera crews, further solidifying that the visit comes courtesy of some on-location filming in Macon. The movie in question that Powell is filming at Mercer is The Comeback King, an upcoming comedy film directed by Judd Apatow, starring Cristin Milioti and Madelyn Cline. The movie, slated to be released on February 5, 2027, stars Powell as a country western star whose career takes a nosedive, per IMDb.
In a November 2025 interview with Parade, he confirmed he’d soon be joining the Texas Exes club, with Powell noting he’s on track to graduate with his bachelor’s degree in spring 2027.