Kylan and Izzy Darnell Reveal What’s Next as They Leave Sorority Life Behind (Exclusive)

It’s been a whirlwind year for the Darnell sisters.

At the start of the school year at the University of Alabama, the two sisters — Kylan, who was starting her senior year, and Izzy, who was a newly-minted freshman at the school — found themselves, once again, at the center of the sorority rush hubbub.

During her first year at Alabama, Kylan made a name for herself as the “Queen of Bama Rush” as she documented the recruitment process with her rush OOTDs and GRWMs. As she joined Alabama’s chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha, her following steadily grew as she documented college life, Greek life and more, all accompanied by her signature, upbeat “I hope you’re having a great day, not not just a good day” sign-on.

As Kylan, 22, entered her senior year, her sister Izzy, 19, began to create her own following as she documented the recruitment process as a freshman. Though many theorized she would end up joining her sister’s own sorority, she later shocked followers when she announced that she was dropping out of the recruitment process right before Bid Day.

The shocking news further exemplified the sisters’ stark differences as Izzy later revealed to PEOPLE that she never wanted to do Bama Rush, but gave it a try after her sister encouraged her. Now, in a new shocking twist, Izzy tells PEOPLE she’s planning on transferring from Alabama altogether as she feels the school is “not the place for” her.

Though #RushTok gave them an initial platform, they’ve successfully expanded their careers as full-time creators, attending New York Fashion Week and recently signing with United Talent Agency.

As they close out their whirlwind year, they tell PEOPLE they have plenty more in store as they head into 2026.

“We’ve worked so hard this whole time on social media and just our whole lives. I started social media back in the fifth grade, and I had 50K as a fifth grader,” Kylan, who now boasts nearly 2 million followers across platforms, shares. “It’s just funny that all this work that we’ve put into has finally happened. I can already tell that we’re getting ready to take the next big step with UTA.”

For her part, Kylan is gearing up for the end of senior year, with her final broadcast journalism classes ahead of her and, more importantly, a partnership gig with SEC Nation for the Dec. 6 championship under her belt.

“They booked me to do the SEC championship before they even knew that Alabama was going to be in it,” she shares proudly, saying that she’s finally moving into the “big girl space” and couldn’t be more excited.

Amid the incredible opportunities, Kylan’s also balancing what she calls the “hardest semester of my life” when it comes to school work, but is hopeful that the work she’s putting in in her journalism and media classes will pay off as she looks toward graduation.

While she’s spent much of her college career in the public eye, her huge social media following has never felt like a chore or a means to an end.

“It’s kind of like my diary or my blog. It’s the way that I get my voice out there,” she shares. “And I love that it’s fun for me. I’ve never felt, ‘ugh, I’ve got to do this video.’ It’s never been like that for me. I will always keep social media just because that’s where I express myself.”

Next on the docket? A move to N.Y.C. and the start of her big girl job.

“I’ve been so transparent with my life, all the way through college,” she says. “Why not be transparent going through whenever I’m moving to New York and all of this stuff, the first steps of finding an apartment, my first day of work.”

While Kylan’s on her way out of college, Izzy is just beginning her college career, though she won’t be at Alabama for much longer, exclusively telling PEOPLE that she’ll be transferring out of the Tuscaloosa school.

“[I’m] just starting,” Izzy says. “My freshman year has been amazing. I’ve met some amazing girls. I’ve had actually the time of my life and I did find a boyfriend my freshman year after everybody said not to.”

In other words, it’s a pretty typical freshman year for Izzy, aside from a few, less typical things, like a Trippin’ with Tarte brand trip alongside her sister, which Kylan prefaces she’s dreamed of going on since her freshman year when Alix Earle and other influencers went.

Izzy’s also carved out her own niche on social media, where she has one and a half million followers across TikTok and Instagram. Her content is uniquely her — slightly more goofy than her older sister’s, but equally as captivating and with confidence building at the forefront. “Whassup fools,” she frequently says to her followers, as she lets them in on what’s going on in her life: tail gates, date parties and the like.

As for leaving sorority life behind, Izzy’s still “100 percent” on that decision, maintaining that she knows her “worth.”

Though Izzy is candid about her friends’ experiences in sororities, which she describes as less than positive, Kylan is quick to chime in that she’s had the opposite experience.

Despite their differing opinions on Greek life and Alabama, the sisters maintain that they always have each other’s backs.

“Different categories, we’re on each other’s team,” Izzy says, before prefacing that, as many sisters do, they sometimes “butt heads.”

“Oh, I’m always her biggest super fan,” Kylan says.

“Except whenever she’s against me,” Izzy quips.

In true big sister fashion, Kylan adds, “I’m the only one that’s allowed to mess with my sister in this world.”

As for the rest of 2026, they’re not opposed to taking that sibling rivalry to reality TV, with Izzy telling PEOPLE that a dream of the girl’s is getting themselves on a season of Dancing with the Stars.

“Us against each other, imagine that?” Izzy says coyly.

As they prepare to go their separate ways — Kylan into the real world post-grad, and Izzy en route to her new school — the sisters reflect on what’s next, and what it’s going to be like as they gear up for these next, more solo chapters.

“I don’t know what I would do without her,” Kylan says, reflecting on the two’s time as neighbors in Tuscaloosa.

“She is my best friend. She’s my rock. Whenever I’m going through things then she’ll drop whatever she’s doing to come and help me. So I couldn’t imagine doing this without her.”