Who Is Lainey Wilson’s Fiancé? All About Devlin ‘Duck’ Hodges

Lanny Wilson has fallen in love at first with her fiancé, Devlin “Duck” Hodges.

The couple began dating in 2021, but did not make their relationship public until two years later, when Hodges accompanied Wilson to the ACM Awards in May 2023. In August 2023, Wilson told People that Hodges opened his heart to love.

She said, “I was never really able to write love songs, because I don’t know if I really felt it, but now I’m writing some love songs.” “I am grateful to them.”

The former NFL player turned real estate agent couple finally popped the question with the announcement of their engagement in February 2025.

Hodges has been a pillar of support for Wilson as he has achieved his stardom in both country music and acting. However, the “4x4xU” singer teased on Instagram that her date at the 2025 CMA Awards, which she’s hosting, might be “looking for the woods.”

So, who is Lanny Wilson’s fiancee? Here’s everything you need to know about Devlin “Duck” Hodges and his relationship with the country music singer.

His college football coach gave him the nickname “Duck”.

Hodges, affectionately known as “Duck”, got his nickname while playing football at Samford University in Alabama. During June 2023 appearance bobby bones showWilson shared the story of how her fiancé’s nickname came to be.

“His college football coach said, ‘You’re one of the best quarterbacks I’ve ever worked with. And you remind me of one of my favorite quarterbacks that I had a chance to work with years ago and we used to call him Duck,'” Wilson said. “And so he and the team started calling him Duck.”

In October 2025, the country music star told southern life That he joked to Hodges on their first date that his friends called him “Goose”.

,I was lying, but he fell for it,, she recalled. ,I think he was like, ‘Oh, I’m in love.’ ,

He is a former NFL player

After college, Hodges went on to play professional football for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was with the team for two years before joining the Los Angeles Rams in 2021; However, he was pardoned that year.

He later played football for the Ottawa Redblacks of the CFL and announced his retirement in April 2022.

Similar to Wilson, Hodges understands the importance of work ethic, one of the many shared characteristics that brought them together in the first place.

Wilson added, “He knows what it’s like to chase a dream because he’s done it all for himself.” bobby bones show“He was in the NFL, He really tried out for the Steelers and made it and did really well with them, Went to the LA Rams and did that,”

he works in real estate

Since retiring from playing, Hodges has taken a keen interest in real estate.

He joined the Myers Cobb Realtors team in April 2024, after working with Mossy Oak Properties in Louisiana. His profile highlights his love of football, duck hunting, and country music.

He and Wilson started dating in 2021

The pair began seeing each other in 2021 after meeting through mutual friends in Nashville.

In an interview with People in June 2023, Wilson recalled their first date at a dance hall and salon known for its cheap drinks and live music.

,We went to this old place called Silverados and they had free beer and wine from 5 to 10 p.m.,, he said. ,I was like, ‘This guy likes to ball, even on a budget. This will work.’ ,

The two hit it off immediately and have been together ever since, but avoided publicizing their romance for over two years.

“I said, ‘We’ll see if you’re in it for the right reasons,'” Wilson said to People about deciding to keep quiet about their relationship for so long. “Turns out, he is. It feels really good to talk about.”

She and Wilson hit the red carpet in 2023

The pair confirmed their romance status when they walked hand-in-hand down the red carpet of the 58th ACM Awards. The singer-songwriter was nominated for six different categories that night, winning four of them.

Wilson wore an all-green ensemble, including a cape and her signature bell bottoms, with heavy jewelery and a green hat. Meanwhile, Hodges stepped out in a blue suit, which he paired with a bolo tie and cream cowboy hat.

Speculation about their romance began a few weeks ago when Wilson was spotted wearing a Hodges Steelers jersey during a performance in Pittsburgh. Eagle-eyed fans immediately took to social media to inform the former Steelers quarterback about Wilson’s outfit, which he happily sported.

She wrote, “Did he really?!?! Y’all are lying!!! @lainewilson yelling at me!!!” xResponding to a fan who posted about Wilson’s concert outfit. “It’s Me Hollerin’,” Wilson wrote backand hodges express reaction“Oh my god 👀 hello.”

He is close to Wilson’s friends

Speaking to People about their relationship, the “Heart Like a Truck” singer joked that Hodges is slowly “stealing all my friends,” including her country music friends like Cole Swindell and Hardy.

“Someone said how funny it was to see all my artist friends high-fiving at the ACMs, and I said, ‘They’re his friends!’ Wilson shared after her red carpet debut in May.

“He’ll FaceTime me, and he’ll be with Hardy and Morgan (Wallen) and Luke (Combs), and I’ll say, ‘Stop stealing all my friends,'” she continued. “They would always be out playing golf and drinking beer.”

He and Wilson have attended many star-studded events together

Hodges was Wilson’s plus-one at the CMA Awards in November 2023. The country star and her boyfriend coordinated in all-black ensembles, which also included cowboy hats.

Later that evening, Wilson won Entertainer of the Year. He kissed Hodges before coming on stage to deliver his acceptance speech.

Fighting back tears, she said, “This is everything I wanted. It finally feels like I like country music back.” Wilson also thanked Hodges for his support, saying, “I love you, Duck.”

The following year, Hodges watched Wilson host the 2024 CMA Awards and take home the award for Female Video of the Year.

She and Wilson are engaged

Hodges and Wilson announced their engagement in February 2025, sharing photos of their intimate proposal on Instagram.

“4x4xU forever,” the couple captioned the joint post, referencing Wilson’s hit song “4x4xU.”

Wilson told People in August 2025 that she and Hodges are in no rush to say “I say,” but once planning begins, finding the perfect dress is at the top of their list.

“Hopefully, he’ll scream when he sees me (walking down the aisle),” he said.