Young attended Hillcrest High School in Midvale, Utah, and was a three-year letterman in football.
At BYU, he switched from defense to offense and had one season as a full-time starter, earning All-MWC Second Team honors at guard in 2004.
During this time, he was noted to be the strongest football player in the conference, with a maximum bench press of 540 pounds.
As of 2018[update], Young is one of only 17 prospects to repeat more than 40 lifts at the 225-pound (102 kg) bench press at the national combine since 1999.
While noted for his upper body strength, his lack of a "dominant base" was criticized by NFL scouts.