Penn State Lands SEC Cornerback From Transfer Portal
Penn State has landed a former Florida cornerback via Louisville, as Jalen Kimber announced that he has committed to the Nittany Lions from the NCAA Transfer Portal. Kimber is enrolled at Penn State for the spring semester and will participate in winter workouts and spring drills.
Kimber announced his decision Thursday on social media, saying, "Throughout this journey and the importance of a school that aligns with my academic and athletic needs." Kimber has two seasons of eligibility remaining but noted in the announcement that he will "complete my final season" at Penn State.
Kimber is the second former SEC cornerback to join Penn State's secondary. A.J. Harris, who played one season at Georgia, also is enrolled at Penn State, though he has not announced his transfer decision.
Kimber initially committed to Louisville on Dec. 30 but continued the portal process. Penn State will be Kimber's third school and first in the Big Ten. He began his career at Georgia in 2020, playing in three games, and sustained a season-ending shoulder injury in 2021. Kimber transferred to Florida in 2022 and played in 25 games over the past two seasons. Kimber started 11 games at cornerback for the Gators in 2023, ranking second on the team in pass breakups (five) and making 23 tackles. Kimber returned an interception for a touchdown against South Florida in 2022.
When healthy, Kimber (6-0, 185 pounds) was among Florida's lead cornerbacks, according to Brandon Carroll of Sports Illustrated's All Gators site. Kimber lost most of the 2021 season due to the shoulder injury that required surgery and played parts of 2022 with a broken hand. Florida coach Billy Napier said that a healthy Kimber made strides last season.
"Jalen’s been steady," Napier told reporters in Gainesville, according to All Gators. "Jalen’s done a good job keeping the ball in front of him. He's more physical. This was just really his first complete offseason [in 2023]. He gained significant lean mass. So we're very pleased with Kimber."
Kimber, from Mansfield, Texas, was a 4-star prospect in the 2020 recruiting class and the No. 8 cornerback nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite.
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