When Long was seven years old, he was on the back of a bike being pedaled by his older brother when he was hit by a car driven by someone who was not paying attention.

Long was a high school teammate of safety Mike Edwards, who was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft.

As a redshirt sophomore for the 2017 Mountaineers, his best statistics were his 18-tackle (including a school record 7 for a loss (meaning the offense lost yardage as a result of his tackle)) effort against the Oklahoma State Cowboys on October 28 and his 2.5-quarterback sack performance in the December 26, 2017 Heart of Dallas Bowl against the Utah Utes.

[3][4] Among his best games as a redshirt junior for the 2018 team were his 15-tackle (3 for a loss) effort against Texas Tech on September 29 and his 3-sack performance on November 10 against TCU.

[12] On December 30, 2018, Long announced that he would forgo his final year of eligibility and declare for the 2019 NFL draft.

[15] During Week 10 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Long forced a fumble off running back Damien Williams which was recovered by teammate Rashaan Evans for a 53-yard touchdown in the 35–32 win.

On December 25, 2024, Long was claimed off waivers by the Tennessee Titans, set to return to the team that originally drafted him.