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Penn State cornerback Jalen Kimber announces he'll enter NFL Draft

Mug-Shot 4x4by:Ryan Snyder•about 11 hours•

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Jalen Kimber, Penn State - © Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Penn State brought in cornerback Jalen Kimber via the transfer portal last year knowing that there was a good chance he’d likely be a one-and-done player despite still having a sixth year of eligibility if he chose to use it. On Sunday, the Arlington, Texas, native made it official, announcing that he’ll enter his name into the 2025 NFL Draft.

Listed at 6-foot, 184 pounds, Kimber’s only season at Penn State will go down as a success, starting in 15 of the team’s 16 games in 2024. Although he didn’t record an interception, Kimber totaled a career-high 37 tackles and three pass breakups on a starstudded Nittany Lion defense. He also played nearly the same amount of snaps in one season at Penn State (704) as he did at both Florida and Georgia combined (721) the previous four years.

A Class of 2020 prospect, Kimber was a four-star recruit coming out of Mansfield High School. Penn State was one of more than 30 schools that offered at the time, but he ultimately ended up at Georgia for his first two seasons.

However, after playing sparingly in 2020 and 2021, Kimber transferred to Florida ahead of the 2022 season. Although he didn’t start for the Gators his first year in Gainsville, he was a regular contributor from game one, playing in 11 of Florida’s 12 regular season games. Kimber then became a full-time starter for the Gators in 2023, finishing with 23 tackles and five pass breakups.

According to Pro Football Focus, Kimber finished with an overall defensive grade of 63.5. He made major strides as a tackler, which was oftentimes a criticism from fans at Florida. He finished this season with an 88.4 tackling grade but also had a 59.8 coverage grade.

While the Nittany Lions may be losing one of its starters, Penn State still has plenty behind him for the 2025 season and beyond. A.J. Harris graded out as one of the team’s best defensive players after he transferred in from Georgia last offseason. He’ll be a junior next season. Cam Miller and Zion Tracy both played right around 400 snaps this season. Miller will be entering his senior season next fall, while Tracy will be a junior. Both Elliot Washington and Audavion Collins played regularly this season as well, with Washington totaling more than 360 snaps in 14 games. Collins played just over 250 snaps in 13 games.

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