Ex-Florida QB Jalen Kitna to Resume Career Following Controversial Arrest, Dismissal

Former Florida quarterback Jalen Kitna reportedly will continue his career in the American Athletic Conference as he looks to return to football from a hiatus stemming from since-dismissed felony charges.

Kitna, the son of ex-NFL QB Jon Kitna, has been admitted into UAB and will make an official visit to the program on Wednesday, ESPN reported Saturday. Kitna’s decision comes approximately six months after the redshirt sophomore agreed to a plea deal that dropped five charges connected to his November 2022 arrest for allegedly possessing child pornography.

“I acknowledge that I made naive decisions that I deeply regret and have since learned from,” Kitna said in a statement to ESPN. “As a result, I took responsibility by pleading no-contest to second-degree misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges related to those decisions.”

Back in July, Kitna plead no contest to two counts of disorderly conduct after facing three felony counts of possession of child pornography and two felony counts of distribution of child exploitation material, resulting in a lesser charge of one-year probation and no jail time.

Kitna was dismissed from the Florida team on Dec. 2, 2022, two days after charges were initially filed against him in Alachua County, Fla.

Kitna now seeks a fresh start under another former NFL quarterback in Blazers coach Trent Dilfer, who compiled a 4–8 record in his first season at UAB in 2023.

A 2021 Florida commit, Kitna played in just four games during his redshirt freshman season in 2022, recording 181 passing yards and one touchdown.