Cleared of felony charges, ex-Florida Gators QB Jalen Kitna commits to play at UAB
Former Florida football quarterback Jalen Kitna is getting a second chance.
Kitna, who was cleared of five felony counts of child pornography in a plea deal last July, has committed to play football next season at UAB, according to a report from ESPNs Alex Scarborough.
Kitna pleaded no contest to two counts of breach of peace last July in connection to his arrest last November for child pornography. He was sentenced to six months' probation.
A month after the plea deal, Kitna broke his silence on the case, referring to the counts as "baseless."
Kitna was Anthony Richardson's backup for the Florida Gators in 2022 before being dismissed from UF by head coach Billy Napier following the arrest. He completed 10 of 14 passes for 181 yards that season with 1 TD and no interceptions. He will get another chance to prove himself on the field under UAB coach Trent Dilfer, a former NFL quarterback who was a contemporary of Kitna's father, former NFL quarterback Jon Kitna.
"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," Dilfer told ESPN. "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."
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Jalen Kitna, former Florida Gators QB, commits to play at UAB
