Jena Young is an American college softball player from Winterset, Iowa. She plays infield for the Alabama Crimson Tide after beginning her NCAA career with the Iowa Hawkeyes. Known for her left-handed bat, strong contact skills, and disciplined approach, she has become one of the more notable young infielders in college softball.
By 2026, she had already earned All-Big Ten honors, NFCA all-region recognition, and SEC Player of the Week honors. Young’s rise has been shaped by early success, injury recovery, and a major transfer to one of college softball’s most respected programs. Her story reflects both small-town athletic development and the growing national platform available to elite NCAA softball players.
| Net Worth: | – |
|---|---|
| Real Name: | Jena Young |
| Birth Date: | December 4, 2004 |
| Age (as of 2026): | 21 Years |
| Birth Place: | Winterset, Iowa, USA |
| Height: | 1.72 m (5 ft 7 in) |
| Parents: | Tim and Megan Young |
| Boyfriend: | – |
Early Life
Jena Young was born on December 4, 2004. She grew up in Winterset, Iowa, a community with a strong high school sports culture. From a young age, she showed athletic ability across several sports. Softball became her strongest path, but she also competed in basketball and track and field.
Young started drawing Division I attention at only 13 years old. She began playing varsity softball as an eighth grader and quickly proved she could compete against older players. During that first varsity season, she posted strong numbers and earned major local and state recognition. Her early success helped make her one of Iowa’s top softball prospects before she officially entered high school.
Family & Education
Jena Young is the daughter of Megan Young and Tim Young. She has one sibling named Casey. Her family background appears closely tied to her development as a student-athlete in Winterset. Young has kept her private life low-key, and she has not made her family story a major public topic.
Still, her steady rise through high school and college softball points to a strong support system behind her athletic career. Young attended Winterset High School in Winterset, Iowa. She became one of the school’s most decorated softball players and helped build the program’s strong reputation.
After graduating from Winterset, she joined the University of Iowa and played for the Hawkeyes. While at Iowa, she majored in exercise science. Her choice of major fits her athletic background and interest in physical performance, health, and sports development.
Jena Young later transferred to the University of Alabama before the 2026 season. Alabama announced her addition in June 2025, giving her two years of eligibility with the Crimson Tide. The move placed her in the Southeastern Conference, one of the strongest softball leagues in the country.
Career
Jena Young’s high school career at Winterset was outstanding. She helped the Huskies win two state championships and became a three-time all-state honoree. In 2022, she produced one of the best seasons in Iowa high school softball history. She hit .624 with 22 home runs, 55 RBIs, and 70 runs scored.
Her performance made her the 2022-23 Gatorade Iowa Softball Player of the Year. She also held Winterset single-season records in home runs, runs scored, RBIs, and slugging percentage. Those achievements confirmed her status as one of the top softball players in the state.
Jena Young also showed resilience during her senior year. She tore her ACL while playing basketball and missed the rest of that basketball season, the track season, and the regular softball season. She returned during the postseason and helped Winterset win another Class 4A state title.
At Iowa, Young became an immediate starter. As a freshman in 2024, she started all 46 games at shortstop or second base. She hit .373, recorded 53 hits, and led Big Ten freshmen in batting average. She also earned First Team All-Big Ten and All-Freshman recognition.
Her sophomore season in 2025 strengthened her college résumé. She started all 53 games and led Iowa with a .359 batting average, 56 hits, 43 runs, five triples, 34 walks, and seven stolen bases. She also added 10 doubles and 27 RBIs. Her strong year earned her First Team All-Big Ten, All-Big Ten Defensive Team, and NFCA Midwest All-Region Second Team honors.
Young transferred to Alabama ahead of the 2026 season. She quickly became an important part of the Crimson Tide lineup. In April 2026, she was named SEC Player of the Week after a dominant series against Auburn. She batted .833, reached base in nine of ten plate appearances, and tied an Alabama single-game record with two triples in one game.
Personal Life
Jena Young keeps her personal life private. Public sources do not confirm a boyfriend, husband, or romantic relationship. She appears focused on her college softball career, academics, training, and team responsibilities.
Her athletic background shows a competitive personality shaped by multiple sports. Basketball and track helped build her speed, coordination, and toughness before softball became her main sport. Her ACL injury also became an important life event, as she had to rebuild physically before returning to help Winterset win a state title.
Young’s public image remains grounded and sports-focused. She is not known for controversy or a highly public lifestyle. Most available information centers on her performance, college career, and development as a softball player.
Social Media
Jena Young is publicly active on Instagram under the handle @jenayoung04. Her account is connected to her softball career and includes posts about Alabama, Iowa, training, team moments, and personal milestones.
She has also been linked with NIL activity, including youth shirsey merchandise promoted through AthleteZone. Her social media presence reflects the modern college athlete’s role, where performance, branding, and fan engagement often overlap.
Jena Young Net Worth and NIL Earnings
Jena Young’s exact net worth has not been officially confirmed. No reliable public source has published a verified net-worth figure for her as of 2026. Since she is a college athlete, her financial profile is best described as undisclosed rather than publicly measurable.
Her possible income sources include NIL opportunities, merchandise sales, softball-related promotions, and brand partnerships. She does not receive a professional softball salary while competing as an NCAA athlete. Her athletic value is mainly tied to college competition, public visibility, and NIL marketability.
Any estimate of her net worth would be approximate and based on limited public data. For that reason, her net worth should not be reported as a confirmed dollar amount. Her financial standing is likely modest compared with professional athletes, but her earning potential has grown through Alabama softball, SEC exposure, and national postseason visibility.
