Michael Yerger: Age, Wife, Survivor Career and Modeling Life
From an Eagle Scout in Tennessee to Survivor, professional modeling, marriage, and a growing family.
Introducion
Michael Yerger first became widely known through Survivor: Ghost Island. He was very young. Just 18 during filming.
But reality TV is only one part of his story.
He grew up in Knoxville, spent years in Scouting, worked in real estate, moved into professional modeling, and later built a large online following. His fashion work has continued years after Survivor.
His personal life changed too. Yerger married fitness creator Daisy Keech in 2025. The couple is now expecting their first child around Christmas 2026.
Quick Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Michael Yerger |
| Date of Birth | July 20, 1998 |
| Age | 28 years old |
| Birthplace | Knoxville, Tennessee, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Model, reality TV personality, former real-estate agent |
| Famous For | Survivor: Ghost Island |
| Survivor Season | Season 36 |
| Survivor Age | 18 during filming |
| Survivor Finish | 9th place |
| Days in Game | 29 days |
| Education | Bearden High School |
| Scout Achievement | Eagle Scout |
| Wife | Daisy Keech |
| Married | 2025 |
| Children | First child expected in late 2026 |
| Height | 6 feet 1 inch |
| Eye Color | Green |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| @michaelyerger |
His birth date is listed as July 20, 1998, with Knoxville given as his birthplace.
Early Life in Tennessee
Michael Yerger was born in Knoxville.
He also grew up there.
His upbringing had a strong outdoors side. Camping, Scouting and physical activity were familiar parts of life.
Yerger has described Tennessee as home. His roots there stayed meaningful even after he moved away.
In an interview, he said his family background includes British, Scottish, Dutch and Lebanese ancestry. He also said his schooling included home, private and public education at different times.
That came directly from him.
So it carries more weight.
Yerger also played football and trained in mixed martial arts while growing up. He spent years involved with Boy Scouts.
Michael Yerger’s Education
Yerger attended Bearden High School.
Local Knoxville reporting identifies him as a Bearden High School graduate.
School was only one part.
Outdoor skills mattered too.
Those skills later became useful when he entered one of television’s toughest competition shows.
His Years in Boy Scouts
Scouting played a big role.
Yerger spent around eight years in Boy Scouts, according to his own later account. He eventually earned the rank of Eagle Scout.
That’s the highest Scout rank.
He earned Eagle on July 21, 2016, while associated with Troop 20 in Knoxville and the Great Smoky Mountain Council.
His former Scoutmaster, David Little, later spoke publicly about him.
Little remembered Yerger helping younger Scouts and said his outdoor and problem-solving experience could help him on Survivor.
Yerger also has a chest tattoo.
It reads, “On my honor…”
The wording connects with the Scout Oath and his years in Scouting.
His Parents and Family
Michael’s parents appeared in local coverage during his Survivor run.
His mother is Zarah Yerger.
His father is Chris Yerger.
Both spoke with Knoxville station WVLT while their son competed on the show. His mother also explained that watching Survivor had been a bonding activity for herself and Michael since he was young.
He started watching early.
Around eight years old.
That childhood interest eventually became real.
Moving to Los Angeles
Yerger left Tennessee at 18.
He said he moved to Los Angeles on the morning of his 18th birthday.
His first plan was real estate.
Not reality television.
Yerger obtained a real-estate license and said he worked in leasing for about six months. Then television entered the picture, followed by a stronger move into modeling and entertainment.
It happened pretty quickly.
His life shifted direction.
How Michael Yerger Started Modeling
Modeling wasn’t his original plan.
According to Yerger, he met people connected with the modeling world while hiking. They encouraged him to attend an agency open call.
He gave it a try.
That choice worked.
He eventually signed with a modeling agency and began building professional experience around Los Angeles.
His fashion career grew much bigger after television.
And it didn’t stop there.
Survivor: Ghost Island
Survivor changed his public profile.
Yerger joined Season 36.
The season was called Survivor: Ghost Island.
He was 18 during filming, making him the youngest contestant on that season. CBS’s announced cast listed him as an 18-year-old real-estate agent from Knoxville who was living in Los Angeles.
He started with the Malolo tribe.
Things got tough early.
Yerger often found himself playing from a weak position, but he managed to survive a long stretch of the competition.
He made it to Day 29.
Then his run ended.
He finished ninth among 20 contestants and joined the jury after elimination.
Why He Lied About His Age
Here is a fun detail.
He hid his real age.
Yerger told other contestants that he was 23, rather than 18.
That was planned.
His concern was simple. He didn’t want older contestants treating him as an inexperienced kid.
Reality TV World documented the strategy while the season was airing. Yerger later said he was pleased that the age lie worked throughout his game.
Honestly, it fooled people.
His castmates believed him.
The strategy also shows how seriously he approached the social side of Survivor.
Hidden Immunity Idols
Yerger became known for idol hunting.
He found Hidden Immunity Idols and used them while fighting from the bottom of the numbers.
One especially big moment came on Night 25.
Seven votes were cast against him.
Yerger played an idol.
Those votes no longer counted, and Libby Vincek was voted out instead.
That kept his game alive.
At least for longer.
His ability to keep surviving made him a visible target as the season went on.
Leaving Survivor
Yerger’s run ended on Day 29.
Local Tennessee media covered his exit because he had become one of Knoxville’s best-known contestants on the show.
He later said he remained proud of his experience.
He didn’t win.
Still, he had lived a childhood dream.
Yerger told WVLT that he had watched the series since he was eight and felt that simply getting to play had been a major personal experience.
He also joined the jury.
That meant he helped decide which remaining contestant received the $1 million prize.
Career After Survivor
Television gave him attention.
Modeling became the longer career.
Yerger went on to build a professional fashion portfolio involving major publications and clothing brands.
Models.com records work including:
- Dsquared2
- 2(X)IST
- SKIMS
- Elle China
- GQ Mexico
- Man About Town
- Doingbird Magazine
- L’Officiel Hommes Poland
His profile also records SKIMS e-commerce work photographed by Carin Backoff in January 2026.
So, yes, he’s still active.
This wasn’t a short modeling phase.
Current Modeling Agencies
His representation has changed over time.
Older profiles mention earlier agencies.
Those can become outdated.
As of September 2026, Models.com lists him with HEROES Model Management in New York, d’management group in Milan and DT Model Management in Los Angeles.
DT is listed as his mother agency.
His modeling profile lists Los Angeles as his professional base.
Michael Yerger’s Height
Yerger stands 6 feet 1 inch tall.
That’s about 186 cm.
His official DT Model Management profile lists:
- Height: 6’1″
- Suit: 40R
- Neck: 15½ inches
- Waist: 32 inches
- Inseam: 32 inches
- Shoes: 12
- Eyes: Green
- Hair: Brown
These figures come from his agency profile, rather than fan-made celebrity databases.
Social Media Presence
Yerger has built a sizable audience.
His Instagram handle is @michaelyerger.
DT Model Management showed roughly 817,000 followers when checked in September 2026.
That number will keep changing.
So treat it as a snapshot.
His social content often connects with fashion, fitness, travel and personal life.
Michael Yerger and Daisy Keech
Yerger’s relationship with Daisy Keech became public in 2020.
Keech is a fitness creator and social-media personality.
The couple publicly shared their relationship through social media and later discussed building a home together in Nashville.
They stayed together for years.
Then came the engagement.
Engagement to Daisy Keech
Yerger proposed in 2024.
The couple announced their engagement on August 28, 2024.
Their announcement showed Yerger proposing outdoors before Keech accepted.
They had been together around four years by then.
The next chapter followed soon.
Michael Yerger’s Wife
Daisy Keech is now his wife.
The couple married in 2025.
A July 2026 report from People identifies Keech as Yerger’s wife and confirms their 2025 marriage.
Some websites give more specific wedding dates.
Those details aren’t needed here.
The confirmed year is enough.
Are Michael Yerger and Daisy Keech Having a Baby?
Yes.
This is the biggest recent update.
Keech and Yerger are expecting their first child together.
People reported the pregnancy on July 2, 2026. Their baby is expected around Christmas 2026.
The report described them as Nashville-based.
That makes sense alongside the home they had previously discussed building there.
The baby will also be the first grandchild on both sides of their families, according to Keech.
A new chapter is close.
Where Does Michael Yerger Live?
There are two useful answers here.
His professional modeling listing says Los Angeles.
Recent family reporting says Nashville.
Models.com lists Yerger as based in Los Angeles for modeling purposes. People, though, described Yerger and Keech as a Nashville-based couple in July 2026.
That difference isn’t necessarily a conflict.
Models often work across several cities.
Fashion Work in Recent Years
Yerger has stayed active professionally.
His recorded work stretches well beyond the immediate attention he received after Survivor.
Models.com lists SKIMS work in both 2025 and 2026, plus an Elle China editorial from December 2025.
Earlier work includes Dsquared2 campaigns, 2(X)IST, magazine editorials and cover work.
Basically, modeling lasted.
Reality TV opened one door.
Fashion became another path.
Michael Yerger’s Interests
Yerger has discussed several interests publicly.
They include fitness and cars.
He has also talked about art, interior design, travel, technology and science fiction.
Outdoor life remains part of his background.
That isn’t surprising.
He grew up around Scouting and spent years learning outdoor skills.
In an earlier interview, he also discussed ambitions involving property investment and a video-game concept. Those comments reflected his plans at that time, rather than confirmed current businesses.
Why Michael Yerger Is Still Known Today
Many Survivor contestants disappear from public view.
Yerger took another route.
His modeling work continued.
His audience grew too.
He has also remained connected with Survivor fans because of the way he played at such a young age.
He entered at 18.
He hid that fact.
Then he lasted 29 days.
Years later, his life looks different. Fashion work continues, he is married, and fatherhood is approaching.
That’s a big change.
Michael Yerger Timeline
1998: Born in Knoxville, Tennessee.
2016: Earned Eagle Scout rank.
2016: Moved to Los Angeles at 18.
2017: Filmed Survivor: Ghost Island.
2018: Season 36 aired on CBS.
2018: Finished ninth after Day 29.
2020: Relationship with Daisy Keech became public.
2021–2023: Continued major fashion campaigns and editorials.
2024: Became engaged to Daisy Keech.
2025: Married Daisy Keech.
2025: Worked with SKIMS and Elle China.
2026: Appeared in new SKIMS work.
2026: Announced first child with Keech.
Final Thought
Michael Yerger’s public story started early.
He was an Eagle Scout first. Then came real estate, Survivor, modeling and a large social audience.
The career kept moving.
So did his personal life.
Right now, he remains active as a professional model, while his most recent personal news is much closer to home. He and Daisy Keech are married and preparing to welcome their first child around Christmas 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Michael Yerger?
Michael Yerger is 28 years old as of September 2026. He was born on July 20, 1998.
Where was Michael Yerger born?
He was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. He also grew up in the Knoxville area.
What is Michael Yerger famous for?
He is best known for competing on Survivor: Ghost Island, Season 36. He later built a professional modeling career.
How old was Michael Yerger on Survivor?
He was 18 during filming. He told fellow players he was 23 as part of his game strategy.
How far did Michael Yerger get on Survivor?
He lasted 29 days and finished ninth among 20 contestants. He then became a jury member.
Who is Michael Yerger’s wife?
His wife is fitness creator Daisy Keech. They announced their engagement in August 2024 and married in 2025.
Does Michael Yerger have children?
Yerger and Keech are expecting their first child around Christmas 2026.
How tall is Michael Yerger?
DT Model Management lists him at 6 feet 1 inch tall, or roughly 186 cm.
