Jeopardy! fans are buzzing after fan-favorite contestant Drew Goins announced he’s returning to the buzzer — but this time, he’s bringing family along for the ride. The 31-year-old journalist from Washington, D.C., revealed in an Instagram post on April 28 that he and his brother, Zach Goins, will compete together on Season 2 of Netflix’s Pop Culture Jeopardy!, premiering May 11, 2026.
And if the brotherly reunion wasn’t enough to get devotees of the trivia show talking, the duo’s cheeky team name sealed the deal. Standing behind their podium in a promotional photo, the Goins brothers revealed their team moniker: “Losers, In Other Words” — a deep-cut tribute that longtime Jeopardy! fans instantly recognized.
A Loving Nod to Alex Trebek
The team name harks back to a memorable 2016 exchange involving the late, beloved host Alex Trebek. During a contestant interview segment that October, Trebek chatted with Susan Cole about her love of nerdcore hip-hop. Cole explained the genre featured people who identify as nerdy “rapping about the things they love.” After she finished, Trebek deadpanned that they were “losers, in other words,” delivering one of the host’s most quotable zingers.
The tribute carries extra emotional weight because Goins never got the chance to play when Trebek was hosting. By tipping his cap to a moment Jeopardy! diehards still quote nearly a decade later, Goins has endeared himself to the fandom even further. Another shot in his Instagram carousel showed current Pop Culture Jeopardy! host Colin Jost shrugging with the caption, “What the hell, sure.”
Fans flooded the comments section with reactions ranging from delighted to deeply invested. “This feels like cheating, and I don’t know why,” one commenter joked, while another quipped, “Man was so popular on Jeopardy! he qualified for Pop Culture Jeopardy!” Others praised the team name itself, with one viewer simply writing, “I am far too excited about this!”
Drew Goins’ Improbable Jeopardy! Journey
Goins has become one of the most recognizable faces in modern Jeopardy! — and remarkably, he’s done it largely by losing. He first appeared on the show on September 25, 2025, and dropped his original game. But after answering 22 of 25 clues correctly, he qualified for the Second Chance Tournament, which he won, advancing to the Champions Wildcard Tournament.
In the Champions Wildcard, Goins finished as first runner-up. His path to the Tournament of Champions came through an unexpected door when Celebrity Jeopardy! winner Lisa Ann Walter dropped out, and Goins took her place. Though he lost his TOC semifinal, he showed up to a later taping wearing a Lisa Ann Walter shirt and proclaiming himself her number one fan — a viral moment that further cemented his fandom credentials. The two have since become friendly online.
From there, Goins advanced to the Invitational Tournament, where his quarterfinal aired on February 9, 2026. He squared off against T.L. Cubbage, a lawyer from Dallas, Texas, and Liz Feltner, a law student from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Cubbage’s résumé includes a College Championship and TOC victory, along with appearances in Super Jeopardy!, the Ultimate Tournament of Champions, and the Battle of the Decades. Feltner finished third in the 2022 National College Championship.
The JIT Quarterfinal Heartbreak
The JIT — an invitation-only tournament where contestants choose whether to compete — offers a winner’s prize of $150,000 and a coveted slot in Jeopardy! Masters. Goins’ quarterfinal got off to a rough start when he hit the first Daily Double on clue 11. Wagering all $3,000 in the category “From Samuel Johnson’s 1755 Dictionary,” Goins answered incorrectly. Host Ken Jennings delivered the bad news: the correct response was “lexicographer,” dropping Goins to $0.
Feltner led with $2,200 after the first 15 clues. Goins clawed back impressively, but it wasn’t enough to overtake the field. After the first round, Feltner held the lead with $4,800, Cubbage sat at $3,600, and Goins trailed in third with $2,800. All three missed Final Jeopardy, but Goins’ wagering strategy left him $1 ahead of Feltner — enough to advance to the semifinals. He ultimately fell to Long Nguyen in the semifinal round, adding another close-but-not-quite finish to his trademark style.
Brothers United on Netflix
Now Goins is teaming up with his brother Zach, who hosts the podcast Inside the Film Room and works as a social producer at STN Digital, in addition to his career as a reporter. The siblings will make their first appearance in episode nine of the new Netflix season, airing May 21.
Pop Culture Jeopardy! Season 2 will drop one new episode every weekday for four weeks, beginning May 11. Given Drew’s track record as the show’s most lovable underdog — and the brothers’ instantly viral team name — fans are already setting reminders. As one commenter summed it up: “I am far too excited about this!”