He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, where he was a unanimous All-American and Heisman Trophy finalist in 2019 after breaking the school's single-season sack record with 16.5.

Young was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in 2023, recording a singular sack in Super Bowl LVIII before signing with the Saints the following season.

[11][12][13] As a senior in 2016, he had 19 sacks, 118 tackles, five forced fumbles, and two defensive touchdowns that helped the team go undefeated and win another WCAC championship.

[30][31][32] In November 2019, Young was suspended for two games by the NCAA for getting an unauthorized loan from a family friend to allegedly help his girlfriend attend the 2019 Rose Bowl, which he later repaid in full.

[50] Young decided to forgo his senior year at Ohio State by declaring for the 2020 NFL draft,[54][55] where he was considered to be the best overall prospect by many in the media.

[58] Young was one of 58 players invited to the draft, which was held virtually due to social distancing regulations arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

[61] Young became the fourth defensive lineman consecutively drafted by Washington in the first round, after Jonathan Allen (2017), Daron Payne (2018), and Montez Sweat (2019).

[70] In December 2020, Young was named a team captain and was voted the NFC's Defensive Player of the Month, becoming the first rookie in Washington's history to receive that distinction.

[79] Young's follow-up season in 2021 saw him record 21 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles before tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and patellar tendon in his right knee during a Week 10 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

[80][81] To reconstruct his ACL, the surgery included grafting part of the patellar tendon from his other knee, which led to additional recovery time.

[89] On November 1, 2023, Young was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a 2020 Resolution JC-2A third-round pick (100th overall; which Washington later used to select Luke McCaffrey) in the 2024 NFL draft.

[98] Young pursued a major in criminology at Ohio State after being inspired by his father and several of his uncles and cousins, who have all worked in law enforcement.

[104][105][106] Young performed guest vocals on "Fire & Ice", a track from the American rapper Wale's 2021 album Folarin II.

[107] He was the honorary pace car driver for the 2022 Federated Auto Parts 400, a NASCAR Cup Series race held in Richmond, Virginia.