Draft night belongs to the players, but some of the best moments come right after the phone rings, when a new pro turns to hug the person who was there long before the scouts showed up. The 2026 class brought a fresh group of girlfriends, fiancées and wives into the NFL spotlight, including an Army Black Hawk pilot, two college basketball players and a viral reaction that racked up millions of views.
The 2026 NFL Draft ran April 23-25 in Pittsburgh, with Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza going first overall to the Las Vegas Raiders. Below are 11 draftees and the women who cheered them on, counting down from the final round to the top pick on our list.
11. Ella Springfield – Garrett Nussmeier (Kansas City Chiefs, Round 7 Pick 249, LSU)
Garrett Nussmeier’s draft weekend was a test of patience. The LSU quarterback, once talked about as a possible first-rounder, waited until the seventh round before the Kansas City Chiefs called at No. 249. His fiancée, Ella Springfield, was there for the emotional finish and later posted, “All in Gods perfect timing! So blessed to call Kansas City our new home.”
Springfield is a Dallas-based marketing professional and social media influencer. The two started dating at LSU in 2021, and Nussmeier proposed in July 2025 in Grove, Oklahoma.
10. Macey Matthews Klubnik – Cade Klubnik (New York Jets, Round 4 Pick 110, Clemson)
The Jets traded up in the fourth round to grab Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik at No. 110, and his longtime love Macey was right there with him. “My best friend’s dream came true this weekend!!!” she wrote on Instagram after the pick.
The two met at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, and both went on to Clemson, where Macey studied marketing. Klubnik proposed in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in December 2025, and the high school sweethearts married in Austin on June 28, 2026.