A number of House GOP lawmakers are quietly expressing interest in being selected to join President TrumpDonald John TrumpRepublicans aim to avoid war with White House over impeachment strategy New York Times editorial board calls for Trump's impeachment Trump rips Michigan Rep. Dingell after Fox News appearance: 'Really pathetic!' MORE’s impeachment defense team as Republicans brace for proceedings to move to the upper chamber. 

The president wants a combination of lawyers and three to four vocal defenders in the House GOP to be on his legal team, Rep. Mark MeadowsMark Randall MeadowsRepublicans aim to avoid war with White House over impeachment strategy GOP lawmakers jockey for positions as managers The Hill's 12:30 Report — Presented by UANI — Sparks fly as House Judiciary debates impeachment articles MORE (R-N.C.) recently said on the House Freedom Caucus's podcast. 

The GOP members most often mentioned as potential candidates include Reps. John RatcliffeJohn Lee RatcliffeGOP lawmakers jockey for positions as managers Live coverage: House Judiciary to vote on impeachment after surprise delay Trump, first lady take part in National Christmas Tree lighting MORE (Texas), Jim JordanJames (Jim) Daniel JordanGOP lawmakers jockey for positions as managers Democrats approve two articles of impeachment against Trump in Judiciary vote Democrats object to Meadows passing note to Jordan from dais MORE (Ohio) and Doug CollinsDouglas (Doug) Allen CollinsGOP lawmakers jockey for positions as managers Impeachment obliterates tinges of comity in House Overnight Defense: Mattis downplays Afghanistan papers | 'We probably weren't that good at' nation building | Judiciary panel approves two impeachment articles | Stage set for House vote next week MORE (Ga.).

“I don't know the extent of the lobby from Capitol Hill. I think there's a general consensus that there's a small group of members that would be, certainly, in the first tier, and another group would be in the second tier,” one GOP lawmaker told The Hill. “Those people in the first tier, obviously, have been the ones who have been more engaged in this process from the beginning. Certainly, Jim Jordan is one of those.” 

The jockeying on the GOP side comes as Democrats compete for jobs as impeachment managers, who will essentially serve as prosecutors during the Senate trial. 

Collins, the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, said the minority party has not traditionally played a large role during impeachment trials. 

“The president actually picks his personal attorneys, and typically, historically, it's not members, but that’s up to him to decide,” he told The Hill.

Trump has not announced any decisions, but many Republicans think he’d benefit from having members on his team who have been at the forefront of the House fight.

“I think you've seen a lot of our members on the relevant committees do a great job of directly asking Democrat star witnesses, ‘Did you see any crimes? Did you see any bribery?’ And not one, not one person could say they saw it because it didn't happen,” House Minority Whip Steve ScaliseStephen (Steve) Joseph ScaliseGOP lawmakers jockey for positions as managers Fox's Chris Wallace calls out Trump for the 'most sustained assault on freedom of the press' in US history McCarthy: I don't think there's a need to whip the impeachment vote MORE (R-La.) said on Wednesday. “So you get a lot of really good people to choose from.”

Jordan, a firebrand conservative who serves as the top Republican on the House Oversight and Reform Committee, has garnered a reputation for being one of Trump’s most aggressive attack dogs on impeachment.

He seems like a near certain pick after House GOP leaders temporarily placed him on the House Intelligence Committee to strengthen their team during that panel’s hearings.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthyKevin Owen McCarthyGOP lawmakers jockey for positions as managers On The Money: Trump, China announce 'Phase One' trade deal | Supreme Court takes up fight over Trump financial records | House panel schedules hearing, vote on new NAFTA deal House panel to hold hearing, vote on Trump's new NAFTA proposal MORE (R-Calif.) said the decision about whether House members should be added to the team should be left up to the president and his advisers and floated the idea of bringing on a constitutional lawyer who has argued before the Supreme Court as a potentially good option.

He praised both Jordan and Ratcliffe for their knowledge of the case and the impact they've made while fighting back against the allegations levied against the president in the House, telling reporters that "there are a number of people that I think they can rely on for information."

"The Senate is a different body than the House. I think Jim Jordan has done an amazing job here," McCarthy said at a press conference Thursday, adding that he believes Ratcliffe, who previously served as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, has a "good understanding" of the situation, with both members holding knowledge that could be valuable for the defense. 

Ratcliffe, who was tapped by the president earlier this year to become the director of national intelligence by Trump before he withdrew from consideration, is also seen as being on the Trump shortlist.

His questioning during the impeachment hearings received broad praise within the GOP, with his colleagues stating he played a key role in their efforts to dismantle Democrats’ accusation that the president’s dealings with Ukraine were unlawful.  

Ratcliffe said he has not yet been approached by anyone at the White House on the matter.

“I mean, I’ve seen my name in there as someone that might be considered, and it's flattering, but if there's any basis for it, no one's filled me in on it,” he told The Hill on Thursday. 

“You know, the president is surrounded by smart people that will make smart decisions. He ought to do what's best for him to win a legal case against him that's unfair and unjust, and he shouldn't be worried about optics or feelings or, you know, anything other than getting himself surrounded by the right legal team.”

Collins — a top Trump confidant who has been one of the most vocal critics of the impeachment process —  is also seen as a prime candidate.

The Georgia Republican has been a key player in defending the president in the lower chamber.

As the ranking member on the Judiciary Committee, he engaged in multiple fiery exchanges with Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold NadlerJerrold (Jerry) Lewis NadlerJudiciary members battle over whether GOP treated fairly in impeachment hearings Live coverage: House Judiciary to vote on impeachment after surprise delay House passes bill that would give legal status to thousands of undocumented farmworkers MORE (D-N.Y.) during the panel’s hearing and markup on the two articles of impeachment. He has also regularly appeared on the cable news circuit to battle with Democrats.

One senior Republican said rank-and-file members on the Judiciary Committee such as Rep. Mike JohnsonJames (Mike) Michael JohnsonGOP lawmakers jockey for positions as managers Impeachment obliterates tinges of comity in House Judiciary Committee abruptly postpones vote on articles of impeachment MORE (R-La.), a constitutional lawyer, are interested in taking on roles on Trump’s team, while another source said the ranking members of the relevant impeachment committees should be under consideration. 

“The good news is we have a very deep bench, and we have a lot of people who would be very capable, and can handle it very well,” another GOP lawmaker said. 

In addition to the discussion of House members joining the team, it is anticipated that White House counsel Pat Cipollone will play a large rule in arguing the president’s case during the Senate trial. 

Jay SekulowJay Alan SekulowGOP lawmakers jockey for positions as managers Supreme Court takes up fight over Trump financial records Meadows says he's advocating for Trump to add Alan Dershowitz to impeachment defense team MORE, one of Trump’s personal lawyers, has been named as a strong contender to join the defense team. The White House is reportedly considering adding famed lawyer and Harvard Law School professor Alan DershowitzAlan Morton DershowitzGOP lawmakers jockey for positions as managers This is why the House articles of impeachment are constitutional Meadows says he's advocating for Trump to add Alan Dershowitz to impeachment defense team MORE — who is known for his previous work as an appellate adviser for O.J. Simpson's defense team and joined Harvey Weinstein's defense team earlier this year — in what could be a controversial move due to recent allegations that he sexually assaulted a victim of sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

Dershowitz strongly denies the accusations, which he cited as the reason he was not called to be one of the constitutional scholars who testified during the House Judiciary Committee's impeachment hearing held earlier this month.  

The two articles of impeachment — one that pertains to abuse of power and the other charging the president with obstruction of Congress — are expected to pass along party lines on the floor next week.