Rylee Arnold had kept her relationship secret until one day she decided against it. The internet recently went into a frenzy when the DWTS pro shared stunning pictures with a USC football player on her Instagram and asked: “Is this a difficult start???🤭❤️‍🔥” The giggles in the caption practically echoed through our screens!

And with this post, their relationship speculations dissolved, which became more and more concrete until Arnold confirmed them to the world. Yes, she is dating USC tight end Walker Lyons, who, in her words, makes her feel “The happiest.“We are sure that you will have several questions floating around in your head. So let’s get started and find out more about the lovebirds!

Meet Rylee Arnold’s boyfriend, Walker Lyons

Walker Lyons is a West Coast kid from California who studied at Folsom High School and began his athletic career there. His high school football stint may have been cut short by an incident in which he broke his leg. But while he was playing, Lyons was named the 2023 All-American Bowl’s Man of the Year. In 2024, Lyons committed to USC, which he said in a press conference: “Always one of his favorite schools.” Since then, he has ranked third on the team’s tight end depth chart.

But how did he meet Rylee Arnold? Well, Arnold is keeping her social media game as real as ever, revealing in such a candid moment that she had her first date with Lyons in October 2024, during which she grabbed a “sweet treat” and a drive through Santa Monica did. According to her, they had a great time talking and texting, which is why she was thrilled to meet him. “I’ve never met him, but we have a lot of mutuals, they’re interesting coincidences…” she said.

And the best part? Their personalities fit together quite well. They are both members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That being said, there are a few things that Rylee Arnold appreciates: “He supports me so much and is always so nice to me. And it’s so nice and refreshing to be here and I just think he’s the best and handles everything like a champ“, she says. But does her dance partner Stephen Nedoroscik also agree with him? Well, here’s what he has to say.

Stephen Nedoroscik shares his first impression of DWTS partner Arnold’s boyfriend

Speaking to Access Hollywood, Stephen Nedoroscik shared that he recently had the opportunity to meet Rylee Arnold’s new boyfriend. “We danced a little bit, he came in and I was like, “Oh, fuck it, this is weird, I’m dancing.” But the gymnast agreed“He (Walker Lyons) seemed like such a nice guy, definitely a sweet guy.” Nedoroscik even shared a little anecdote about how Lyons held the door for him, which made him realize how polite and well-mannered the footballer was.

Rylee Arnold, on the other hand, couldn’t help but laugh and said: “That’s what I got the seal of approval for!” Well, her instinct was always that Walker and Stephen would definitely like each other because they were both incredibly happy and nice boys. And guess what? The three also went on a double date accompanied by Nedoroscik’s girlfriend Tessa McCracken!

On November 9, Rylee Arnold shared a glimpse of their double date as all four headed to the film’s LA premiere Evil! With Rylee and Walker sitting in the front and the other couple cozying up in the back seat, the outing caused quite a stir. If Rylee and Stephen can win this DWTS Finale, perhaps we’ll see another iconic moment featuring the four of them together. How do you rate your chances of taking home the trophy? Share your thoughts below!