Real-Life Love
Who Is Lainey Wilson’s Engaged To? Inside Her Relationship With Devlin ‘Duck’ Hodges
Lainey Wilson keeps her professional and personal lives very separate, but there’s no hiding her love for boyfriend Devlin “Duck” Hodges. Ever since the two went public with their romance in 2023, he’s been by Wilson’s side at high-profile events, including the CMA Awards, ACM Awards, and more.
Even when Hodges isn’t with the country singer in person, he’s sure to celebrate her big wins on social media. The two took their relationship to the next level when they got engaged in February 2025.
Scroll down for everything we know about Hodges and his relationship with the Yellowstone star.
How did Lainey Wilson and Duck Hodges meet?
Wilson and Hodges started dating in 2021 (yes, two years before they told the world about their relationship). They met through mutual friends in Nashville and went on a very low-key first date.
“We went to this old place called Silverados, and it had free beer and wine from 5 to 10 p.m.,” Wilson told PEOPLE. “I was like, ‘This boy likes to ball on a budget too. This is gonna work out.’”
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It wasn’t until the ACM Awards in May 2023 that Wilson and Hodges made their red carpet debut. “I said, ‘We gonna see if you’re in it for the right reasons.’ Turns out, he is,” she revealed. “Somebody said how funny it was watching him high-five all of my artist friends at the ACMs, and I said, ‘Those are his friends!’”
However, before the couple went public, fans were already linking them together. Weeks before the ACMs, Wilson was wearing one of his football jerseys while performing in Pittsburgh. When fans pointed this out on social media, Hodges played along, writing on X, “Did she really?!?! Y’all are lying !!!! @laineywilson holla at me !!!” She responded, “This is me hollerin.”
Lainey Wilson and Duck Hodges’ engagement
On February 12, 2025, Wilson and Hodges confirmed they were engaged. In a joint Instagram post, they shared photos from the proposal, which took place at the top of a set of stairs leading into what looks like a large house.
“4x4xU forever,” Wilson captioned the post, referencing one of her song titles. Hodges set the scene for an adorable proposal. He decorated the area with pictures of the pair in frames, along with candles and roses. Wilson also showed off her massive sparkler in some of the shots. The ring featured multiple stones bunched together in the shape of a flower.
What does Duck Hodges do?
Hodges works in real estate for Myers Cobb Realtors in Memphis, Tennessee. “Devlin has been very successful in the real estate industry due to all his connections through football, country music and duck hunting,” his bio says. He previously worked in real estate at Mossy Oak Properties in Louisiana.
Before taking up real estate, Hodges played in the NFL. He was the starting quarterback at Samford University in Alabama for four years and signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2019.
After playing backup quarterback for one season, during which he actually saw some time on the field due to the starter’s injuries, Hodges was signed to the Steelers’ practice squad in September 2020. His contract expired in January 2021. Although he signed a contract with the Los Angeles Rams later that month, he was waived in August 2021.
Hodges played with the Ottawa Redblacks in the Canadian Football League from September 2021 until his retirement in April 2022.
How did Duck Hodges get his nickname?
The nickname “Duck” came from Hodges’ college football coach at Samford. He also loves duck hunting, which was simply a coincidence.
“His college football coach was like, ‘You’re one of the best quarterbacks I’ve ever worked with. And you remind me a lot of one of my favorite quarterbacks I got to work with years ago, and we called him Duck,’” Wilson said on The Bobby Bones Show. “And so he and the team just kind of started calling him Duck.”
