Jalen Kitna, dismissed Florida QB and son of Jon Kitna, headed to UAB after felony charges dropped
Jalen Kitna has committed to UAB.
The former Florida quarterback, the son of former NFL quarterback Jon Kitna, has been admitted to the school, per ESPN. Kitna, a sophomore, was dismissed by Florida after an arrest on felony charges that were later dropped.
Jalen Kitna said in a statement to ESPN that he was “grateful for the opportunity.”
“I acknowledge that I made naive decisions that I deeply regret and have since learned from,” he said. “As a result, I took responsibility by pleading no-contest to second-degree misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges related to those decisions.”
Kitna said he is in good standing at Florida and weighed “multiple offers to play football from different schools.”
“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.”
Kitna was arrested on five child pornography charges in November 2022 after police received a tip that a user had distributed an image of child sexual abuse material on the social media platform Discord. The charges were second-degree felonies that could result in 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. However, the charges were dropped in July after he reached a plea deal that resulted in him pleading no contest to two misdemeanor counts of breach of the peace. He served six months’ probation.
Jalen Kitna, per ESPN, will make an official visit Wednesday.
“Initial headlines can be hard to get past, even if they don’t hold up to the scrutiny of the legal process over time,” UAB coach Trent Dilfer told ESPN. “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.”
For the full report, check out ESPN.