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Jalen Kitna, son of longtime NFL QB Jon Kitna, commits to Florida

Jalen Kitna, the son of longtime NFL quarterback Jon Kitna, is headed to the SEC.

Jalen, a three-star quarterback recruit in the class of 2021, announced Tuesday that he has committed to play football at the University of Florida. The younger Kitna, listed at 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds, previously committed to Boston College before backing off that pledge in January. Kitna ranks as the 17th-best pro-style quarterback in his class, according to Rivals.com.

Before picking Florida, Kitna also had offers from Arizona, Colorado, Georgia Tech and Oregon State. He is the second quarterback in Florida’s 2021 class, joining Carlos Del Rio, a four-star recruit from Loganville, Georgia.

Kitna is the 15th member of Florida’s 2021 class. The class is currently ranked No. 5 in the country, according to Rivals’ team rankings. Only Ohio State, Tennessee, Clemson and USC rank ahead of the Gators at this point in the recruiting cycle.

Jalen played last season at Rick Reedy High School in Frisco, Texas, but is transferring to play for his father, the new head coach at Burleson High School, for his senior season. According to Rivals recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman, Kitna has “big-time arm strength” and can make throws from the pocket and with his legs.

Kitna told Gators Territory that the UF staff “really liked” his footwork:

"They really liked my footwork," Kitna previously told Gators Territory. "They said they need a leader for their offense. They said those are some of their base values and that's what they like about me. Obviously there are things I can work on and things I can fix, but those things were really important to them and stood out to them."

Jon Kitna went undrafted out of Central Washington in 1996 but ended up spending 16 seasons in the NFL playing for the Seattle Seahawks, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions and then the Dallas Cowboys. In all, Kitna threw for 29,745 yards, 169 touchdowns and 165 interceptions in 141 career NFL games.

Jon spent 2019 as the quarterbacks coach for the Cowboys but is now returning to the high school level for his fourth head-coaching job.

GAINESVILLE, FL - NOVEMBER 07: A general view of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium during the game between the Florida Gators and the Vanderbilt Commodores on November 7, 2015 in Gainesville, Florida.  (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images)
Jalen Kitna, the son of longtime NFL quarterback Jon Kitna, is headed to Florida. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images)

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