If you’ve spent more than five minutes scrolling through TikTok during the sweltering heat of an Alabama August, you’ve definitely seen her. The blonde hair, the high-energy "Get Ready With Me" videos, and that unmistakable Darnell family charisma. Izzy Darnell has basically become a household name for anyone following the #RushTok phenomenon. But as she carves out a path that looks a lot different than her famous older sister Kylan’s, people are getting tripped up on the basics. Specifically, everyone wants to know: how old is Izzy Darnell right now?
The Short Answer: How Old is Izzy Darnell in 2026?
Let’s just get the numbers out of the way so we can talk about the drama. As of early 2026, Izzy Darnell is 19 years old.
She was born in 2006, which makes her a true Gen Z powerhouse. She grew up in Wheelersburg, Ohio, on a family farm—a far cry from the high-stakes social scene of Tuscaloosa where she spends her time now. While she’s often seen as the "little sister," she’s firmly in her late teens and navigating that weird transition between being a kid from Ohio and a massive digital creator.
It’s easy to get her age confused because she’s been on our screens for years. We saw her as the high school soccer player (she was #32 for the Wheelersburg Pirates, by the way) and the supportive younger sibling. But she’s not that little kid anymore. Honestly, she’s built a following of over 1.1 million people on TikTok alone, which is a lot of eyes for someone who hasn’t even hit twenty yet.
Why Everyone is Obsessed with Her Age and Grade
The reason the search for how old is Izzy Darnell spiked so hard recently comes down to one thing: Bama Rush.
In the summer of 2025, Izzy was an 18-year-old freshman heading to the University of Alabama. This was the moment everyone was waiting for. Her sister, Kylan Darnell, was the undisputed "Queen of Bama Rush" back in 2022. Naturally, the internet assumed Izzy would follow the exact same script.
But Izzy is... different.
She walked into her freshman year with a million followers. Think about that for a second. Most 18-year-olds are worried about finding their dorm and not getting lost on the way to English 101. Izzy was already a business. She was a public relations student with a platform larger than most mid-sized cities.
The Great Sorority Exit
The "how old" question often leads to the "what happened" question. During the 2025 recruitment cycle, Izzy did the unthinkable in the world of Alabama Greek life. She dropped out.
She was 18 at the time, and the pressure was immense. Imagine being that age and having thousands of strangers speculating about which house will "take" you. She famously posted a video of herself ripping up a mock Bid Day card. It was a bold move. It was her way of saying she wasn't going to be defined by a set of Greek letters just because her sister was.
She told People magazine and Cosmopolitan that the rules were just too much. Sororities have strict guidelines about what you can post and how you talk to people. For a creator whose literal job is her voice, those rules felt like a cage. She chose her brand over a bid, and honestly, can you blame her?
Growing Up in Kylan’s Shadow (and Stepping Out)
It’s hard to talk about how old Izzy is without mentioning Kylan. Kylan is about three years older—currently 22 and finishing up her time at Bama.
For a long time, Izzy was "Kylan's little sister." They did the Christmas hauls together (remember the Birkin bag drama of 2024? People were losing their minds over whether those bags were real). They did the beauty pageants. But at 19, Izzy has found a vibe that’s slightly more "villain era" and a bit more cynical than Kylan’s "ray of sunshine" persona.
- Kylan (22): The quintessential sorority girl, Miss Ohio Teen USA 2022, Zeta Tau Alpha member.
- Izzy (19): The rebel, the independent creator, the girl who realized she didn’t need a sorority to stay relevant.
This age gap is significant in the world of social media. While Kylan represents the "old guard" of Bama Rush, Izzy represents the new wave of influencers who realize they actually have more power than the organizations they’re trying to join.
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What's Next for the 19-Year-Old Star?
So, what does a 19-year-old with a million followers do after rejecting the biggest social institution in the South?
She’s leaning hard into her own brand. Izzy has become a major player in the "prom aesthetic" space and beauty niche. She’s working with massive brands like Sherri Hill and SHEIN. She’s proving that you don’t need to be a "sister" to be a success.
She's still a student at the University of Alabama, likely focusing on that PR degree which, let's be real, she's basically already mastered in the field. She spends a lot of time in places like Orange Beach, living a life that looks a lot more like a professional influencer and a lot less like a typical college freshman.
The Reality of Being Izzy Darnell
Being 19 and famous is weird. Kylan has actually come to her sister's defense multiple times, slamming "ridiculous" rumors about Izzy not getting into the university or being a "liability" to sororities.
The truth is, the internet can be a mean place for a teenager. People analyzed her every move during rush, claiming she was "faking it" or "doing it for the plot." But at the end of the day, she’s just a young woman trying to navigate her own life while a million people watch.
Whether you love the #RushTok drama or you're just curious about the family dynamics, there’s no denying that Izzy has staying power. She’s not just a sidekick anymore. She’s the main character of her own story.
If you're following her journey, the best thing to do is watch her TikToks directly. She's remarkably transparent—sometimes to a fault—about why she makes the choices she does. From her high school days in Ohio to the beaches of Alabama, Izzy Darnell is proof that being the "little sister" is just the starting line, not the finish.
Keep an eye on her Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates on her college life and career moves. She tends to post late in the evening (usually around 7 PM EST), and she’s pretty consistent with her uploads. If you're looking for fashion inspiration or just want to see how a 19-year-old navigates sudden fame, she's the one to watch.
Check out her latest "Get Ready With Me" videos to see how she's styling herself these days without the sorority dress codes holding her back.