Florida quarterback Jalen Kitna arrested on charges of possession of child pornography

Backup Florida quarterback Jalen Kitna, the son of former NFL starter Jon Kitna, is in police custody according to the Alachua County Sherriff’s Office. The redshirt freshman had taken over the second-string job on the depth chart during the season but now faces serious legal trouble.

UPDATE: Kitna was arrested on child pornography charges, according to TMZ. The Alachua County Sherriff’s Office listed him in their database after he was taken into custody on Wednesday afternoon, although his charges were initially unlisted.

A spokesperson for the Gainesville Police Dept. told TMZ that Kitna was booked on five separate charges. Those charges included two counts of distribution of child exploitation material, and three counts of possession of child pornography.

A former three-star recruit, Jalen Kitna arrived at Florida as part of the 2021 class. He ranked No. 710 overall in the country and No. 108 in his home state of Texas. In limited action across four games with the Gators, he has completed 10-of-14 passes for 181 yards and a touchdown.

In addition to the obvious off-field concern, which must be put first in this situation, it puts Florida in potential bind on the field. The Gators have not yet learned whether starting quarterback Anthony Richardson plans to return in 2023, and if he chooses to test the NFL Draft waters, he would become a candidate to skip the bowl game and begin preparations.

Jack Miller currently sits third on the depth chart. Kyle Engel, Max Brown and Jack Anders are the other options currently listed on the roster.