| UAB Blazers–No. 7 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Quarterback |
| Class |  |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | March 22, 2003 |
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Weight | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College | |
| High school | Burleson (Burleson, Texas) |
Jalen Kitna (born March 22, 2003) is an American football quarterback for the UAB Blazers. He previously played for the Florida Gators.
Kitna is from Tacoma, Washington and attended Waxahachie High School in Waxahachie, Texas before transferring to Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix, Arizona after his freshman year. He then transferred to Frisco High School in Frisco, Texas before finally transferring to Burleson High School in Burleson, Texas for his senior season and after his father was hired as the head football coach there. [1] [2] Kitna originally committed to Boston College [3] before decommitting [4] and switching his commitment to Florida. [5]
Kitna began his college football career at Florida in 2021, using a redshirt in 2021, then playing four games in 2022. He was dismissed from Florida's roster in December 2022 following his arrest. [6]
In December 2023, he committed to play for UAB. [7] On November 2, 2024, he threw for 404 yards and six touchdowns against Tulsa, being named American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week. [8]
Kitna's father is former NFL quarterback Jon Kitna.
On November 30, 2022, Kitna was arrested on child pornography charges. [9] [10] In July 2023, the charges were dropped as part of a plea deal; Kitna pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor counts of breach of the peace. [11] Kitna would go on to state that the initial charges were "not accurate" and a forensic investigation found no inappropriate material on any of his electronic devices. [12]