- Five felony counts against Jalen Kitna were dropped after he pleaded no contest
- The quarterback entered the transfer portal a week after entering the plea deal
Jalen Kitna has committed to UAB. His father, former NFL quarterback Jon Kitna, was cleared of all charges related to child pedophilia in July.
The sophomore quarterback for the Gators was fired by Florida following his arrest on felony accusations of having and disseminating child pornography. He had been the team’ backup quarterback.
He did, however, use the transfer site following the July plea agreement that saw the dismissal of all five charges.
According to ESPN, Kitna has committed to the UAB football program after being accepted. It is said that he will come to campus on Wednesday.
He expressed his gratitude for the chance to pursue his scholastic career in an interview with the publication.
He said, “I admit that I made foolish decisions that I sincerely regret and have since learned from.” “Therefore, I accepted responsibility for those decisions and entered a no-contest plea to second-degree misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges.”
He further disclosed that prior to choosing UAB, he had evaluated offers from other universities.
‘However, I firmly believe that UAB is the perfect fit for me,’ he said. ‘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.’
UAB coach Trent Dilfer and athletic director Mark Ingram told ESPN that ‘extensive due diligence’ had been carried out in reviewing Kitna’s application to the school.
However, Dilfer, who went 4-8 in his first season as UAB coach in 2023, stressed that he had held ‘candid conversations’ with Kitna and his family and felt the signal caller had shown sufficient ‘great character’ to merit his place at the college.
‘Jalen has worked diligently to complete his six-month probation and participate in activities to grow and mature as a young man,’ Ingram added.
‘He has committed to continued engagement with a robust support system at home and on campus, and I am confident in the decisions made by the institution and Department of Athletics to both support admission to UAB and to make available the appropriate guidance, resources and support services to promote Jalen’s growth and success.’
Kitna was the backup to eventual NFL first-round pick Anthony Richardson last year. He appeared in four games for Florida and threw for 181 yards and one touchdown.
The Gainesville Police Department arrested Kitna on November 30 on five felony child pornography charges – two counts of distribution of child exploitation material and three counts of possession of child pornography.
Police said Kitna shared two images of young girls being sexually abused via a social media platform.
Officers said they later searched his phone and found three more images of two nude young girls in a shower – photos that had been saved to Kitna’s phone a year earlier. The report did not estimate the ages of the girls.
The Gators dismissed Kitna from the team days after his arrest and banned him from the Florida campus days later. His ban runs through November 2025.
Kitna returned home with his family to Burleson, Texas, after posting bond and completed online classes this past spring.
He pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct in a court appearance in Alachua County, Florida, before Eighth Judicial Circuit Judge Susan Miller-Jones on July 5.
He avoided jail time and does not have to register as a sex offender. He was placed on six months’ probation for each count.