Bachelor Nation
Michelle Young is the Season 18 Bachelorette.

6 Theories About Who Michelle Ends Up With On The Bachelorette

Let’s discuss.

ABC/Craig Sjodin

Michelle Young’s season of The Bachelorette is well underway, which means things are starting to get serious with the remaining guys. After a few weeks of drama, Michelle has cut the number of guys by more than half, so she’s that much closer to figuring out who will be the recipient of her final rose. There are still quite a few options, though, so fans have some different theories about who Michelle ends up with on The Bachelorette.

Michelle had a sort of rocky start during Season 18 of The Bachelorette, spending a lot of her time weeding out the guys who were deemed to not be there for the right reasons, like Ryan Fox and Jamie Skaar. In the Nov. 9 episode, Chris Sutton started some drama by announcing that some of the men acted like they had the whole competition “in the bag.” That prompted Michelle to announce that “no one has it in the bag” at this point in the season, which makes it kind of hard to predict who she’ll choose in the end. However, there are still some major hints that can help fans predict the Season 18 Bachelorette winner among Michelle’s remaining men. Read on for a few spoiler-free theories.

Nayte Olukoya

ABC/Craig Sjodin

The first impression rose is always a big deal, especially on The Bachelorette. Former Bachelorettes JoJo Fletcher, Rachel Lindsay, and Clare Crawley all gave their final rose to the same guy who got the first impression rose. So, the fact that Nayte won Michelle’s first impression rose is a really good sign for him. He’s also been getting a lot of air time, which is usually a good sign that fans are going to be following this guy for the majority of the season. Chris S. got angry with Nayte for being confident he would have some alone time with Michelle down the road... but maybe Nayte’s not wrong?

Joe Coleman

Joe’s already come a long way from just being known as the guy who ghosted Michelle. On Night 1, she recognized Joe as a guy from her home state of Minnesota who stopped answering her after a few messages. But now that they’ve gotten some face-to-face time on The Bachelorette, the sparks are flying between them. Joe is really making an effort to show Michelle he cares, like when he brought her snacks in the Nov. 9 episode. Plus, some fans noted that Michelle and Joe both shared Instagram stories from the same Minnesota Vikings football game on Oct. 31. That could be a major hint that they’re spending time together post-Bachelorette as a couple.

Brandon Jones

Early on this season, Michelle said that she was starting to “picture a life with” Brandon, which sounds like a pretty good hint that she has some deep feelings for him. Not only that, but Brandon was also the first contestant in Bachelorette history to win back-to-back group date roses. All of that bodes well for Brandon, who seems to be staying out of the drama and focusing all his attention on Michelle.

Rick Leach

According to Michelle, Rick already won part of The Bachelorette: She told the Almost Famous podcast that Rick “won” Night One thanks to his memorable entrance. In case you forgot (or have blocked it out), Rick showed up with his head literally on a platter, and then he spent the night crouched on a dinner cart. It was kind of weird, but not so weird that it was a turnoff for Michelle. Not only does she think he won that night, but she also has already gone on a one-on-one date with him, during which Rick told her, “I can’t rule out the fact that I could be falling in love with you.” Sounds promising!

Rodney Mathews

ABC/Craig Sjodin

A lot of the other guys in the house think Rodney belongs in the friend zone, but Michelle doesn’t seem to feel that way. She told Rodney that she sees something between them, and they eve have a secret handshake to highlight their connection. Fans seem to agree, as Rodney’s become an early fan-favorite, with lots of fans tweeting their love for him.

Nobody

Then again, there’s a chance Michelle doesn’t choose anybody. She did say nobody has it “in the bag,” and maybe that will translate into there being no winner at all. Michelle hinted at the fact that her season could end any number of ways recently on the Talking About It podcast. “I think regardless of how this thing ends, I learned so much,” she said. “And I’m in a good spot. It was an amazing opportunity. I met amazing people, and I’m headed in a good direction. So it’s hard not to be happy.”

No matter who Michelle does or doesn’t end up with, she seems to be happy post-Bachelorette, and that’s what matters.

Season 18 of The Bachelorette airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.