Pa. native returns to ‘Jeopardy’ after defeating 16-time champion

After competing and winning twice on “Jeopardy” in 2025, one Pennsylvania man is returning to the show to try to claim a third victory.

Jonathan Hugendubler of Baltimore, who grew up in the Chambersburg area, beat 16-time winner Scott Ricciardi and is now the seventh person to win more than one regular-season game after defeating a “super champion.”

Hugendubler, who is an adjunct professor at three colleges in the Maryland area, said he started watching “Jeopardy” regularly in 2014 and has been hosting trivia at Charm City Entertainment in Baltimore since 2020.

Five years later, he said he felt he was “decent” at trivia and decided to take the “Jeopardy Anytime” test. The gamble paid off for him.

After making it through multiple rounds of tests and mock game sessions on Zoom, Hugendubler competed for the first time in July 2025, beating Ricciardi. He came back in August to win again, before ultimately losing during his third time on the show.

“I had a lot of faith in myself, but in that initial game, I got off to a really bad start,” Hugendubler said. “It was really shocking to be able to unseat someone who was probably one of the top 10 players of all time, and that gave me some confidence going forward.”

Hugendubler is set to return to the show to compete in the “Jeopardy: Champions Wildcard,” a competition that pits the best of the best against one another to see who will compete in the “Tournament of Champions” later in the year. He says he is excited to be competing alongside some of the close friends he has made over the past year.

“The episode will be a lot of fun to watch,” Hugendubler said. “I had a great time there, and it was really nice getting to connect with a lot of people who are really good players.”

Hugendubler’s episode will air on Thursday, Jan. 8. “Jeopardy” can be viewed in the Harrisburg area on CBS21 at 7:30 p.m., Monday-Friday, and at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. It can also be streamed on Hulu or Peacock.