With the 2024 NFL season underway, several significant others will officially have the title of NFL WAG.
After realizing their NFL dreams during April’s draft, the rookies will now take the field to solidify their entry into the brotherhood of professional athletes. At the same time, their wives and girlfriends will join an elite sorority that includes some of the world’s brightest names.
With influential women like Taylor Swift and Simone Biles at the top of the heap, several NFL WAGs have made names for themselves, transcending their affiliation with the league.
Brittany Mahomes, Olivia Culpo, Kristin Juszczyk, and Kylie Kelce – who recently graduated from being a WAG after her husband Jason Kelce retired – became fan favorites through their body of work and personalities.
As the group continues to expand, DailyMail.com looks at some of the NFL WAGs from the class of 2024.
1. Alina Thyregod, Chicago Bears
No 1 overall pick Caleb Williams poses with girlfriend Alina Thyregod
The pair made their first public appearance at the NFL Draft in April
Caleb Williams had a way of hard launching his relationship with Alina Thyregod – making their first public appearance when he was selected first overall pick by the Chicago Bears.
While they both tried to keep their relationship somewhat under wraps, Thyregod posted a TikTok in January seemingly confirming their romance. In the video, Williams hopped onto her back as Thyregod tried to keep her balance as they fell into laughter.
The length of their relationship remains unclear as they stayed under the radar for much of it – except for several sly Instagram posts. However, before the draft, Williams went on social media and wrote: ‘Wait till yall see draft day suit and my ladies dress. 1 of 1s.’
Although Thyregod’s personal life is not out in the open like many, expect to see her on the sidelines as Williams, the former Bruin, tears it up with the Bears.
2. Katya Kuropas, Minnesota Vikings
JJ McCarthy and his girlfriend Katya Kuropas have been dating for over five years
Shortly after Michigan won the national title in January, McCarthy and Kuropas got engaged
After winning a national championship with Michigan, JJ McCarthy was selected by the Minnesota Vikings with the tenth overall pick.
Sitting alongside him on his journey will be his high-school sweetheart, Katya Kuropas, whom he has been dating for over five years. Kuropas and McCarthy both attended Nazareth Academy in Hillsdale, Illinois, before the former joined her partner and headed to Ann Arbor for college.
In January, their relationship took another step when McCarthy got on one knee and the pair got engaged. As a regular at Wolverines games throughout McCarthy’s collegiate career, fans can expect Kurpoas to weather the low temperatures in Minnesota.
3. Izzy Smoke Nix, Denver Broncos
Bo Nix’s wife, Izzy Smoke Nix, was a cheerleader at Auburn, where he played for three years
In a draft class flooded with quarterback talent, the Denver Broncos secured Oregon standout Bo Nix with the 12th selection. While the previous pair are on their way to tying the knot, Bo and his wife Izzy Smoke Nix exchanged vows on July 2, 2022.
The pair met during Bo’s three-year stint in Auburn before he headed to the Pacific Northwest to join the Ducks. Bo and Izzy, a cheerleader for the Tigers football team, started dating during her now-husband’s sophomore year.
While Izzy remained in Alabama after Bo opted to take his talents elsewhere, the happily married couple can now root for the same team in the mile-high state.
4. Ann Michael Hudson, New England Patriots
Drake Maye and girlfriend Ann Michael Hudson’s romance started as high school sweethearts
Third overall pick Drake Maye, out of North Carolina, heads into a rebuilding franchise in New England post-Bill Belichick.
Before Maye became the Tar Heels star and third overall pick, he began dating his high school sweetheart, Ann Michael Hudson.
Ann’s love for football comes as no surprise – born to former Wofford football player Kevin Hudson and his wife, Alicia. After attending William A. Hough High School together for a year, Hudson and Maye chose to head to Chapel Hill, where she is a business school student with a double minor in entrepreneurship and conflict management.
Maye made their relationship Instagram official in 2020 with a cuddly New Year’s Eve post, writing: ‘Bringing in ’20 with a 10.’
5. Cameron Rose Newell, Las Vegas Raiders
Brock Bowers’ girlfriend, Cameron Rose Newell, is an active member in Tennessee’s Greek life
Bowers and Newell began dating in 2021 despite attending different football-mad schools
With the 13th pick in the draft, the Las Vegas Raiders selected tight end Brock Bowers out of Georgia.
As the former Bulldog heads to Sin City, his girlfriend, Cameron Rose Newell, will join him in front of the bright lights in Vegas.
Bowers started dating the University of Tennessee student in May 2021. Hailing from Napa, California, Newell is an active member of UT’s Greek life as an assistant director of recruitment operations for the Kappa Delta sorority.
Besides her involvement in the sisterhood, she also worked as an administrative assistant for their family business, Newell’s Property Management.
6. Makiah Shipp, Los Angeles Rams
Blake Corum’s girlfriend, Makiah Shipp, was previously featured on ‘Black Girl Speak’
Shipp, pictured with her beau, is studying for a degree in public policy analysis from Michigan
Another member of the national championship Michigan Wolverines, Blake Corum fell into the third round before getting selected by the Los Angeles Rams at 83rd.
While the running back looks to prove doubters wrong in the NFL, his girlfriend, Makiah Shipp, has fought the odds in her own impressive manner.
Shipp earned a research internship at the U-M School of Education in 2019, which paved the way for her scholarship at Michigan. Shipp’s efforts led her to be featured on ‘Black Girl Speak’ as she works to amplify marginalized voices.
She is en route to completing a degree in public policy analysis this year – which will make Shipp the first college graduate from her family.
Like several NFL couples, Shipp and Corum have kept their romance largely hidden, with only rare glimpses of each other on their respective social media.
7. Victoria Moraga, San Francisco 49ers
Ricky Pearsall’s girlfriend, Victoria Moraga, was a dancer at the University of Florida
Pearsall is expected to make a full recovery after getting shot in San Francisco on September 1
Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall got drafted by Super Bowl contenders San Francisco 49ers with the penultimate pick in the first round in April.
While Pearsall was hit in the chest during a shooting incident on September 1, he was released from the hospital the following day and returned to the team facility on Monday.
As he gears up to make his NFL debut after quite a scary incident, Pearsall will have his girlfriend, Victoria Moraga, cheering him on. The pair met in the Sunshine State while both representing the Gators.
While Pearsall earned his NFL nod on the field, Moraga was part of ‘The Dazzlers’ – Florida’s official dance team. After graduating, Moraga worked as a Social Media Coordinator at Modern International Realty.
