Ex-Florida quarterback Jalen Kitna, the son of former NFL quarterback Jon Kitna who was dismissed by the Gators after facing since-dropped felony charges last year, will continue his career at UAB, a school spokesperson told ESPN. Kitna has already been admitted to the school and plans to visit campus on Wednesday.
Kitna was arrested in November 2022 on five child pornography charges and was subsequently dismissed from the Gators that December. Gainesville Police found that Kitna shared two images on the social media site Discord. He later reached a plea deal in July of this year in which the charges were reduced to two second-degree misdemeanors. Kitna also served six months of probation.
UAB coach Trent Dilfer, who is exiting his first season with the Blazers, and athletic director Mark Ingram told ESPN that Kitna was vetted extensively before being admitted to the university.
"Initial headlines can be hard to get past, even if they don't hold up to the scrutiny of the legal process over time," Dilfer said in the statement. "UAB and the Department of Athletics have performed extensive due diligence, and I have personally looked at the facts of this case and the thorough investigation, and I've had candid conversations with Jalen and his parents. I firmly believe Jalen learned valuable lessons and will carry himself well and show great character as a member of our community. Otherwise, he would not be at UAB."
Kitna also released a statement obtained by ESPN in which he expressed gratitude for a second chance to compete at the NCAA level.
"I acknowledge that I made naive decisions that I deeply regret and have since learned from," Kitna said. "As a result, I took responsibility by pleading no-contest to second-degree misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges related to those decisions."
"However, I firmly believe that UAB is the perfect fit for me. I consider myself fortunate to be in Birmingham, surrounded by an incredible support system, having found a church family, and being able to take advantage of the numerous resources offered by the university."
Kitna joins UAB as it looks to rebound from a 4-8 debut under Dilfer, which was also the program's first season as a member of the American Athletic Conference. Kitna saw action in four games at Florida during the 2022 campaign, ending the season with 10 completions for a total of 181 yards and a touchdown. He previously starred at Burleson High School in Texas and held multiple Power Five offers before choosing the Gators.
