Who is Lainey Wilson's fiancé? Know all about former NFL player popularly known as 'Duck'; Wilson reveals wedding plans during CMA Awards night

Lainey Wilson claimed the Entertainer of the Year honor at the 2025 CMA Awards on Wednesday night at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, topping fellow nominees Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton and Morgan Wallen. Wilson, who also hosted the ceremony, accepted the honor from Keith Urban shortly after securing Female Vocalist of the Year. The win marks her second time taking home the CMA’s top prize.

ALSO READ - CMA Awards 2025: Complete Winners List - Lainey sweeps honors with Entertainer and Female Vocalist awards

In her heartfelt speech, the '4x4xU' singer thanked her parents, Michelle and Brian, expressed her gratitude to Jesus, and gave a special shout-out to her fiancé, Devlin 'Duck' Hodges.


"We're getting married next year, come on now!" she said to applause as quoted by AOL. "I could not do this without my village. It takes a village. I just have the most incredible team of people who just work tirelessly all the time."

Wilson, 33, also picked up several major nominations at the 2025 CMA Awards, including Single and Song of the Year for '4x4xU', Album of the Year for Whirlwind, and Music Video of the Year for 'Somewhere Over Laredo'.

WHO IS DEVLIN 'DUCK' HODGES?

According to People, Hodges - affectionately known as 'Duck' - earned his nickname while playing football at Samford University in Alabama. During a June 2023 appearance on The Bobby Bones Show, Wilson explained the origin of the moniker and how it stuck with her now-fiancé.

"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 show. “And so he and the team just kind of started calling him Duck.”

After college, Hodges moved on to the professional ranks, signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he spent two seasons before joining the Los Angeles Rams in 2021, though he was waived later that year, reported People. He then continued his career in the CFL with the Ottawa Redblacks before announcing his retirement in April 2022.

Hodges has developed a strong interest in real estate post retirement, reported People. He first worked with Mossy Oak Properties in Louisiana and later transitioned to Myers Cobb Realtors, joining the firm in April 2024.

According to People, Wilson and Hodges began dating in 2021 but kept their relationship private until the 2023 ACM Awards, where they made their public debut. Wilson later shared that Hodges helped her open her heart to love.

The couple announced their engagement in February 2025 on Instagram with photos from their intimate proposal, captioning the post '4x4xU forever' in a nod to her hit song. Speaking to People in August 2025, Wilson said they’re in no hurry to marry, but once planning begins, choosing the perfect wedding dress will be one of her biggest priorities.

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