Dismissed Florida QB Kitna joining UAB, Dilfer

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2 years ago

December 30, 2023

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Alex Scarborough, ESPN Staff WriterDec 30, 2023, 09:40 AM ET
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- Covers the SEC.
- Joined ESPN in 2012.
- Graduate of Auburn University.

Jalen Kitna, who was dismissed by Florida following 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 school, a university spokesperson told ESPN. Kitna, the 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 in which he pleaded no-contest to a second-degree misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge. 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.”

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Miss. State prez: SEC prefers no auto-bids in CFP

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3 hours ago

November 8, 2025

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Miss. State prez: SEC prefers no auto-bids in CFP

Mississippi State president Mark Keenum, the chair of the College Football Playoff board of managers, told ESPN’s Paul Finebaum on Friday that the SEC would prefer to “not have automatic bids” in future iterations of the playoff.

Keenum’s comments came just weeks before the CFP’s Dec. 1 deadline to determine whether there will be a format change for 2026 and beyond.

“I’m not a big fan of automatic qualifiers,” Keenum said on “The Paul Finebaum Show,” which was live from Mississippi State ahead of Saturday’s game against Georgia. “I think the best teams ought to play in our nation’s national tournament to determine who our national champion in college football is going to be and not have automatic bids. That’s the position of the Southeastern Conference — presidents and chancellors, our commissioner, and probably most of the conferences that are part of the CFP.”

If the playoff is going to expand beyond 12 teams, the Big Ten and SEC will have to agree on the format because they were granted the bulk of control over it during the previous contract negotiation. Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti and SEC commissioner Greg Sankey haven’t reached consensus on a model. Following SEC spring meetings in May, a 16-team model that would feature the top five conference champions and 11-at-large teams gained support from every FBS conference except the Big Ten, which has been steadfast in its support of automatic qualifiers.

In August, ESPN reported the Big Ten’s interest in an expanded field that could include 24 or 28 teams and would eliminate conference championship games. That model could include seven guaranteed spots for both the Big Ten and SEC; five each for the ACC and Big 12; two bids for leagues outside the Power 4; and two at-large teams.

Multiple sources within the CFP have been skeptical for months that Sankey and Petitti would agree on a format — which means the most likely outcome would be for the current, 12-team format to remain in place for at least another season.

“We’re still negotiating,” Keenum told Finebaum. “We have to make a decision before the end of this month if we’re going to expand to 16 next year. … I’ll be honest, I’m not very optimistic that we’ll get to that, but we’ll keep working on it.”

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Missouri’s Norfleet (shoulder) ruled out vs. A&M

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3 hours ago

November 8, 2025

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Missouri's Norfleet (shoulder) ruled out vs. A&M

Eli LedermanNov 7, 2025, 04:50 PM ET
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No. 22 Missouri will be without star tight end Brett Norfleet (shoulder) when the Tigers host undefeated No. 3 Texas A&M on Saturday in Columbia.

Norfleet, a junior from O’Fallon, Missouri, has started in each of the Tigers’ eight games this fall and enters Week 11 leading all SEC tight ends with five touchdown receptions. His 26 catches on the season rank third-most among Missouri pass catchers, trailing only wide receivers Kevin Coleman Jr. and Marquis Johnson.

Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz told reporters that Norflett sustained a separated shoulder in Missouri’s 17-10 loss at Vanderbilt on Oct. 25. Drinkwitz later described Norfleet as “day-to-day” during the Tigers’ bye in Week 10, and the veteran tight end was listed as questionable in Missouri’s student-athlete availability report Thursday night.

Norfleet’s absence comes with Drinkwitz and the two-loss Tigers essentially facing a playoff elimination game against the Aggies on Saturday. Missouri will also be without starting quarterback Beau Pribula in Week 11 after the Penn State transfer dislocated his ankle at Vanderbilt. Freshman Matt Zollers, ESPN’s No. 6 pocket passer in the 2025 class, is set to make his first career start Saturday, facing Texas A&M coach Mike Elko and an Aggies defense that ranks 18th nationally in defensive pressures (137), per ESPN Research.

“For our team, it’s really about us focusing on helping Matt execute at the highest level possible,” Drinkwitz said this week. “We’re excited about Matt’s opportunity and what he’s earned. He has done a really good job in practice of leadership, stepping up, embracing the moment, embracing the opportunity.”

Missouri (6-2) kicks off against Texas A&M at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.