Survivor 49 is finally here. After meeting the all 18 new players, Survivor fans all want to know the same thing: Which player wins Survivor 49?
I love sharing the players I think are most likely to win Survivor after a new season premieres, and that's just what I've done with Survivor 49. In the past few seasons, some of my predictions have been pretty good! I had Charlie Davis and Rachel LaMont on my list of players most likely to win for Survivor 46 and 47. Survivor 48, on the other hand, was a rough one! I did not anticipate just how much loyalty and strength was going to be the focus on the season. Also, Kyle Fraser had a disastrous start to Survivor 48, so I stand by not picking him to win after the premiere. Had Kamilla Karthigesu not bailed him out with that immunity idol puzzle and making him play it when he did, Kyle would have been voted out a lot sooner on that season.
Anyway, Survivor 49 is a very interesting season, and that's mainly because this is a great, fairly even cast, but they're also playing for spots in Survivor 50. That could definitely change some of the stories of the season, along with the narratives and edits.
Let's talk about the Survivor 49 players who are most likely to win after the season premiere.
Rizo Velovic
Rizo, also known as the Rizgod, had a fascinating start to the game. He ended up on the Uli tribe, which appeared to be, in my opinion, the most evenly balanced tribe. It doesn't look like they have a weak physical player on their tribe, but they started out a little bit slowly.
Of the Uli tribe, Rizo got a lot of screen time in this episode because he volunteered to try to win supplies after losing the Marooning challenge, and he did just that. He needed to get a little bit creative in copying Alex Moore's puzzle, but eventually, Rizo pulled out the win and came back a hero.
In terms of enthusiasm, few players can match Rizo. He's a natural storyteller, too, which makes me think he might be able to captivate his tribe and potential alliance members. I like Rizo's chances to go far in the game. Enthusiasm can go a long way.
But, we've already seen Rizo struggles with some of the finer details, like puzzles. He showed resourcefulness to come away with that win, and that's what matters. Now, we just have to see what type of player Rizo is.
Michelle “MC” Chukwujekwu
MC is one of the two alternates thrown into the game just 12 hours before Survivor 49 started, and she had a great start to the game on the Hina tribe. The tribe won all three challenges. MC showed that she can contribute in those challenges, and she seemed to be well-liked by her tribe. First impressions are super important, and I think MC made a great first impression.
Now, it's so early in the game to really know how things are going to go. The Hina tribe avoided tribal council, and until the voting starts, it's really hard to know just how these players are going to handle that adversity. Going off of physical skills and social ability so far, MC has to be considered as one of the favorites to go far in Survivor 49.
Savannah Louie
As far as first impressions go, one player made the biggest splash of all in Survivor 49, and that player was Savannah Louie. In the first clips of the season, Savannah made a bold declaration that this was going to be the easiest $1 million she could earn. It's the most confidence any player has shown so far, but it's definitely captured the attention of fans.
Ultimately, I don't know if being so confident is a good thing or a bad thing. Sometimes, players make one move or find and idol, and they get a little too complacent. That's not really what's happening here, though. Savannah has talked a lot about deception, using her career as a journalist to read people, and understanding how important vibes are to the tribe.
I don't know, but it just seems like she's thinking about Survivor in a way that's just different from some of the other players. Savannah appears like she's just happy to be there, but I think she's just sizing up the competition so far.
Alex Moore
Alex Moore has had a rough start to Survivor 49. He's lost every challenge, including the head-to-head showdown against Rizo, but he seems to be a smart player who is good in challenges and adept in stressful situations. Alex has already had basically the full Survivor experience, minus an immunity win.
You know who also had a very rough start to Survivor? Survivor 48 winner Kyle Fraser, who used losing the first challenge and the head-to-head challenge as a wake-up call to start playing the game. Alex went from the loser to the player basically in charge of the Kele tribe. He has the perfect alliance with Jake Latimer, Jeremiah Ing, Annie Davis, and Sophi Balerdi. If they can finally win something, this four seems like it has potential to make a run.
For Alex, though, he has the perfect meat shield in Jake to take some of the pressure off, and he has a secret alliance with Annie that could also pay dividends. And, after fully lying to Nicole's face at tribal council, Alex is playing Survivor.
Jawan Pitts
I fully realize I picked three players from the Uli tribe to win Survivor 49, but I just have a really good feeling about all of them, and a really bad feeling about everyone else this season. Jawan is, I believe, the best narrator of the season. He had so many great lines in the first episode, and they even titled the episode based on his quote. It was amazing!
Now, it's just up to Jawan to navigate the game, form so good alliances, and continue on the path to victory. Jawan looks like he has a great grasp on Survivor gameplay, and I really like his ability to form some good relationships on his tribe. Jawan, who is a video editor, was happy to hear Nate Moore works in the entertainment industry. Nate didn't spill exactly what he does, but I think they might be able to bond based on their similarities living and working in the entertainment industry in Southern California.
Looking at the players who could play together, Jawan, Rizo, Savannah, and Nate could form a very strong alliance to run through this game. Jawan, Savannah, and Nate just might be the three smartest players in the game, and they're all on one tribe.
We'll see how it all shakes out, but that's who I think has the best chance to win Survivor 49 after the season premiere!