Cornell Young IV is an American actor and former college football player who gained wider attention in 2026 after being cast as Shaquille Johnson in Netflix’s sequel series A Different World. He plays the son of Ron Johnson, the character portrayed by Darryl M. Bell in the original series.
Young’s path to acting is closely connected to sports. Before building his television career, he played football in high school and college, including at McKendree University in Illinois. His athletic background became especially useful when he was cast as Shaquille, a highly regarded football player attending fictional Hillman College.
Latest Update: September 28, 2026
As of September 28, 2026, Cornell Young IV is starring as Shaquille Johnson in Netflix’s new A Different World sequel series. The 10-episode series premiered on Netflix on September 24, 2026, introducing a new generation of students at Hillman College while bringing back several members of the original cast.
Netflix describes Shaquille as a superstar quarterback who chooses to attend an HBCU because of a promise he made to his late mother. His character is also the son of Ron Johnson, who is played by original cast member Darryl M. Bell.
Young has said that his own football experience helped him understand Shaquille. He played several positions during his younger years and later played wide receiver at McKendree University.
Who Is Cornell Young IV?
Cornell Young IV is an actor from St. Louis, Missouri. He is best known in 2026 for playing Shaquille Johnson in A Different World, but his earlier screen credits include Netflix’s Forever, Beyond the Gates, Mind Your Business and the film Doing Life.
Before becoming a professional actor, Young was an athlete. He attended Kirkwood High School in Missouri, where he played football, and continued playing at McKendree University. His transition from football to acting became a major part of his personal career story.
In an interview with Netflix Tudum, Young explained that he grew up loving sports and had also appeared in school plays. He initially viewed football as his main path, but theater eventually became a creative outlet during college.
Cornell Young IV Age
Cornell Young IV is 26 years old in 2026. Famous Birthdays lists his birthday as February 14, 2000, and identifies Missouri as his birthplace.
Recent entertainment coverage has also described Young as 26. His exact date of birth, however, is not prominently published by Netflix or his college athletics profile, so February 14, 2000 is best attributed to the biographical source that publishes it.
Early Life and Family
Young grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and is one of seven children. He has described sports as a major part of his childhood and said he began playing football at a young age.
McKendree University’s football roster identifies him as the son of Cornell Young III and Shonte Harmon-Young. The same university record lists his hometown as Kirkwood, Missouri, and his high school as Kirkwood High School.
Public sources do not provide extensive information about his siblings, including their names or occupations. For that reason, specific claims about his brothers and sisters should not be added without further reliable documentation.
Cornell Young IV Education
Young attended Kirkwood High School in Missouri. He was a football player there and contributed to a Kirkwood team that won the Missouri Class 6A state championship.
He later attended McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois. The university’s athletics roster lists him as a freshman wide receiver for the 2018 football season.
Young has also spoken about taking marketing courses in college. According to his Netflix interview, he became interested in theater because he wanted something creative to balance his academic and athletic schedule.
Cornell Young IV Football Career
Football played a major role in Young’s life before acting became his main career. At Kirkwood High School, he played multiple positions, including running back, wide receiver and cornerback.
His high school team won a Missouri Class 6A state championship. Young then continued playing college football at McKendree University as a wide receiver.
McKendree’s official roster lists Young at 6 feet 3 inches and 190 pounds during his freshman season. The roster also records 11 catches for 104 yards as a senior at Kirkwood, along with 25 tackles and three interceptions.
His experience as an athlete later became valuable when he auditioned for A Different World. Young told Netflix that he wanted to portray a football player convincingly because he understood the sport from personal experience.
How Cornell Young IV Became an Actor
Although Young appeared in plays during school, acting was not initially his planned profession. He has said that he loved movies and performed occasionally in middle school, but he did not originally believe acting could become a career.
College helped change that direction. While playing football and taking marketing classes, he became involved in theater. Young compared the experience to Troy Bolton from High School Musical, a character who balances sports with performing.
His first screen credits came in the 2020s. TVMaze lists appearances in Beyond the Gates, Mind Your Business, Forever, D.O.P.E. Unit and A Different World.
Cornell Young IV Acting Career
Forever
Young appeared in Netflix’s Forever, a coming-of-age romance based on Judy Blume’s novel. TVMaze lists his role as Todd in two episodes of the 2025 series.
Young has described Forever as his first television booking. He said the experience helped him become more comfortable on a professional television set and prepared him for larger roles.
Beyond the Gates
Young also appeared in the CBS daytime drama Beyond the Gates. TVMaze lists him as a photographer in an episode that aired in March 2025.
Mind Your Business
His television credits also include an appearance as Jameel in Mind Your Business. The role is listed among his early acting credits.
D.O.P.E. Unit
In 2026, Young appeared in the television series D.O.P.E. Unit as Maurice “Mo” Johnson. TVMaze lists him in four episodes of the series.
Doing Life
Young has also been associated with the drama film Doing Life, where he played Donovan. This role came before his larger television breakthrough with A Different World.
Cornell Young IV in A Different World
Young’s biggest television role to date is Shaquille Johnson in Netflix’s 2026 sequel series A Different World. The show returns viewers to Hillman College with a new generation of students while retaining characters and performers from the original sitcom.
Shaquille is a talented football player who enters Hillman as a high-profile athlete. His decision to attend the fictional HBCU is tied to a promise to his late mother, while his relationship with his father adds another layer to his college experience.
The character also has a romantic storyline involving Deborah Wayne, the daughter of Dwayne Wayne and Whitley Gilbert. Young told Netflix that Shaquille’s feelings for Deborah are strong but that the character has difficulty expressing himself clearly.
Why Cornell Young IV Was a Natural Fit for Shaquille
Young’s real-life football background closely matches an important part of Shaquille’s fictional identity. Netflix’s character description presents Shaquille as a superstar quarterback, while Young himself played multiple football positions before becoming an actor.
That background allowed Young to approach the athletic aspects of the character from personal experience. He told Netflix that he specifically wanted to play Shaquille because he knew how to portray an athlete in a believable way.
The role also required Young to portray grief. Shaquille is dealing with the death of his mother while adjusting to college, football expectations, his relationship with his father and his feelings for Deborah.
Cornell Young IV Parents
Cornell Young IV’s parents are identified in McKendree University’s official football roster as Cornell Young III and Shonte Harmon-Young. The roster is an institutional source that confirms the relationship.
Additional information about his parents’ occupations and personal backgrounds is not sufficiently documented in the reliable sources reviewed for this profile. Those details are therefore not presented as established facts.
Cornell Young IV Relationship Status
Young’s current relationship status has not been reliably established by the major sources reviewed. His public interviews in 2026 have focused primarily on his acting career and his role in A Different World.
His on-screen relationship with Deborah Wayne is part of the fictional storyline and should not be confused with Young’s private life.
Cornell Young IV Height
McKendree University’s official football roster lists Young at 6 feet 3 inches. The listing was made during his 2018 freshman football season.
Cornell Young IV Net Worth
There is currently no reliable public source establishing Cornell Young IV’s exact net worth. He is still in the early stages of his professional acting career, and his contracts, savings, investments and other personal finances are not publicly disclosed.
Online estimates that assign a specific dollar amount to his wealth should therefore be treated as unverified unless they are supported by financial records or a direct disclosure from Young.
Cornell Young IV Religion
Young has mentioned his faith in interviews. In his Netflix interview about A Different World, he said he prayed about the possibility of joining the show. However, the sources reviewed do not establish a detailed current religious affiliation or denomination.
For that reason, a specific denomination should not be presented as a confirmed part of his biography.
Quick Facts About Cornell Young IV
| Full name | Cornell Young IV |
|---|---|
| Profession | Actor |
| Age | 26 in 2026 |
| Reported birthday | February 14, 2000 |
| Birthplace | Missouri |
| Hometown | St. Louis/Kirkwood, Missouri |
| Parents | Cornell Young III and Shonte Harmon-Young |
| Education | Kirkwood High School; McKendree University |
| College sport | Football |
| College position | Wide receiver |
| Height | 6 feet 3 inches |
| Known for | Shaquille Johnson in A Different World |
| Other credits | Forever, Beyond the Gates, D.O.P.E. Unit, Doing Life |
| 2026 series | A Different World |
| Net worth | Not reliably disclosed |
| Relationship status | Not reliably disclosed |
Reader Questions
Who is Cornell Young IV?
Cornell Young IV is an American actor and former college football player from Missouri. He became widely known in 2026 for playing Shaquille Johnson in Netflix’s sequel series A Different World.
How old is Cornell Young IV?
Cornell Young IV is 26 years old in 2026. Famous Birthdays lists his birthday as February 14, 2000.
Where is Cornell Young IV from?
Young is from Missouri and grew up in the St. Louis area. McKendree University’s football roster lists Kirkwood, Missouri, as his hometown.
Who are Cornell Young IV’s parents?
His parents are Cornell Young III and Shonte Harmon-Young. Their names are listed in his official McKendree University football biography.
Did Cornell Young IV play football?
Yes. He played football at Kirkwood High School and later played wide receiver at McKendree University. He played several positions in high school, including running back, wide receiver and cornerback.
What college did Cornell Young IV attend?
Young attended McKendree University in Illinois after graduating from Kirkwood High School. The university’s athletics roster lists him as a freshman wide receiver in 2018.
What role does Cornell Young IV play in A Different World?
He plays Shaquille Johnson in Netflix’s 2026 sequel series A Different World. Shaquille is a star football player at Hillman College and the son of Ron Johnson, played by Darryl M. Bell.
Is Cornell Young IV the son of the original A Different World actor Darryl M. Bell?
No. Cornell Young IV plays Darryl M. Bell’s fictional son, Shaquille Johnson, in the Netflix series. Young’s real parents are identified as Cornell Young III and Shonte Harmon-Young.
What other shows has Cornell Young IV appeared in?
His screen credits include Forever, Beyond the Gates, Mind Your Business, D.O.P.E. Unit and A Different World. He has also been associated with the film Doing Life.
How tall is Cornell Young IV?
McKendree University’s football roster lists Cornell Young IV at 6 feet 3 inches tall. The measurement comes from his college athletics profile.
What is Cornell Young IV’s net worth?
His exact net worth has not been reliably disclosed. Because he is an emerging actor, publicly circulating estimates should not be treated as confirmed financial information.
Is Cornell Young IV married?
There is no reliable source reviewed for this biography that confirms that Young is married. His current relationship status has not been publicly established by the major sources covering his career.
Where can I watch Cornell Young IV in A Different World?
Cornell Young IV stars as Shaquille Johnson in Netflix’s 2026 sequel series A Different World. The series premiered on Netflix on September 24, 2026.
Wrap-Up
Cornell Young IV has moved from competitive football into professional acting, with his athletic background becoming an important part of his breakthrough role. His experience at Kirkwood High School and McKendree University gave him firsthand knowledge of the sports world that he now brings to the character of Shaquille Johnson.
His 2026 role in A Different World represents a major step in his young acting career. Netflix’s sequel places him alongside a mixture of new performers and returning stars from the original sitcom, including Kadeem Hardison, Jasmine Guy, Darryl M. Bell and Cree Summer.
Young’s career is still developing, so some personal details frequently requested in online biographies, particularly his exact net worth and relationship status, remain undocumented. What is established is his Missouri background, college football experience, early screen work and starring role as Shaquille Johnson in Netflix’s new Hillman College story.
Disclaimer
This biography was updated on September 28, 2026, using publicly available sources including Netflix, McKendree University and contemporary entertainment reporting. Details that could not be reliably verified, including an exact personal net worth and current relationship status, have not been presented as confirmed facts.
