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Alex Scarborough, ESPN Staff Writer
Jalen Kitna, who was dismissed by Florida after an arrest on felony charges that were later dropped, has committed to join the football team at UAB.
The sophomore quarterback has been admitted to the school, a university spokesperson told ESPN. Kitna, son of former NFL quarterback Jon Kitna, plans to be on campus for an official visit Wednesday.
Kitna, who was a backup quarterback for the Gators, 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. But 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.
In a statement to ESPN, UAB coach Trent Dilfer and athletic director Mark Ingram said “extensive due diligence” was performed in reviewing Kitna’s application to the school and interest in playing football.
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.”
Dilfer, who went 4-8 in his first season as UAB coach in 2023, acknowledged the shock of Kitna’s arrest but noted his discussions with Kitna and his family.
“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. “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.”
Said Ingram: “Jalen has worked diligently to complete his six-month probation and participate in activities to grow and mature as a young man. 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.”
