Podcaster and former NFL punter Pat McAfee is ‘always paranoid’ and fixated with any perceived slight, according to an old colleague from his days with Barstool Sports.’I think that paranoia is who he is,’ Barstool’s Jeff “Vibbs” Vibbert said on the website’s Out and About podcast. ‘He’s always paranoid. When we were working there, you’re just kind of walking around on eggshells, wondering what he’s going to be like emotionally when he shows up, who he’s going to be mad at, who he’s going to be feuding with.’McAfee, 39, has been more or less at the center of controversy since bringing his YouTube show to ESPN and becoming a centerpiece of the network’s College GameDay broadcasts in 2022. Most recently, that controversy has centered on last weekend’s reception at the University of Utah, where he was booed following a critical social media post on one of the school’s accounts.McAfee went so far as to reference the 2025 killing of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk at nearby Utah Valley University to explain the level of fear he was experiencing at the University of Utah on Saturday. While the University has issued an apology after McAfee complained of feeling ‘uncomfortable’ on the Salt Lake City campus, he doubled down on the potential danger by sharing a few threats he received online. Furthermore, Front Office Sports has revealed that the podcast host was warned about potential threats by the FBI, which suggested McAfee start wearing a bulletproof vest following Kirk’s assassination. Justified or not, the discussion of potential dangers facing McAfee was very familiar with Vibbert, who worked with the retired Indianapolis Colts star at Barstool around 2017. [embedded content] Pat McAfee was urged to wear a bulletproof vest by the FBI after Charlie Kirk’s assassination McAfee alluded to Kirk’s murder at Utah Valley University last year to explain his fears ‘That Charlie Kirk video [on McAfee’s talk show], I watched it, and it just gave me flashbacks of like, “here we go, going off,” and then you’ve got to sit around the next day and be like, “Yup, that was justified,”‘ Vibbert said of McAfee.The Daily Mail has sought comment from a McAfee spokesperson.ESPN is aware of the potential threats facing McAfee and taking every possible precaution to ensure his safety, a network spokesperson said in a statement.The ESPN star revealed on Monday he did not enjoy his visit to the University of Utah for the most recent episode of College Gameday on Saturday and blamed the school by invoking Kirk’s murder.’I’ve never been more uncomfortable, honestly, in my life, walking in front of a group of people after watching their university put out a post, basically dogging me just moments before,’ McAfee said on Monday’s episode of his eponymous show.The problem, according to McAfee, involved a since-deleted video reportedly posted on the Utah Student Experience Instagram page.The video, which has since surfaced on other social media platforms, includes Utah students criticizing McAfee before his scheduled live remote broadcast from Salt Lake City, where the sixth-ranked Utes beat visiting Houston, 21-13, on Saturday night.’One kid goes, ‘Ah, he’s corny,” McAfee said of the Instagram video. ‘Another kid calls me ‘creepy.”McAfee claimed he wasn’t upset about the criticism, but rather the fact that it was being posted on a school social media account.’The University puts that out, like as I’m about to go out and do an infomercial for the place, and then I’m walking in front of thousands of these people,’ he said. ‘This is how the University feels about it. It’s an uncomfortable feeling.’McAfee went on to reference Kirk’s 2025 murder at Utah Valley University in Orem, about 45 miles south of Utah’s Salt Lake City campus.Although he stopped short of mentioning Kirk by name, McAfee did urge schools in Utah to refrain from sharing divisive material.’I thought to myself, has anything like really scary happened at a college gathering in the state of Utah recently?’ McAfee asked. ‘Like, do we think we should be amplifying reasons for why people hate my guts as a University?’McAfee had other issues in Salt Lake City, too.He errantly predicted that Houston would upset the Utes, only to later admit coach Morgan Scalley’s team is, in fact, ‘good.’ He also bickered with one of the contestants in his weekly kicking contest who sneered at the $1 million prize.’Actually, how about $20,’ McAfee told the woman, who went on to miss her kick. McAfee took issue with a video posted on one of the school’s social media accounts (pictured)A school spokesperson has since issued a public apology to McAfee and the ESPN crew.’The University of Utah is grateful to have had the chance to welcome Pat McAfee and the entire ESPN College GameDay crew to campus,’ read the school statement.’ESPN College Game Day has visited our campus seven times and we have always enjoyed a terrific relationship and positive experiences with the entire crew.’Our goal during the visit was to create lighthearted engagement regarding Pat being back on campus, but we missed the mark. University staff are responsible for reviewing and posting content on official social media accounts and we take full accountability for that decision.’University officials have reached out to Pat to express appreciation and regret. We sincerely apologize for creating any perception that Pat was unsafe or unwelcome on our campus. Nothing could be further from the truth. Pat and the entire GameDay crew are always welcome at the University of Utah and we deeply appreciate the opportunity ESPN provides to showcase our university and community.’