Florida Gators Jalen Kimber, a cornerback for Florida’s 2023 squad, is the 17th player to sign up for the NCAA Transfer Portal this summer.
In the spring, Kimber is expected to graduate as a student from UF with a bachelor’s degree. Before the 2022 season, Kimber moved from Georgia to Florida, and during his first season on the program, he became aware of time in rotation.
While he was healthy, he showed promise in his performances, but injuries sustained during his stay with the Bulldogs prevented him from playing a regular role in the unstable secondary.
Kimber battled for the starting position opposite Jason Marshall Jr. and junior Devin Moore in 2023 after fully recovering from his injuries. Moore’s own injuries early in the season while recovering from a shoulder injury that ended his freshman season and Kimber’s persisting concussion symptoms propelled him into a key role in the Gators’ defense.
Early in the season, Kimber showed himself to be a reliable player, which helped Florida’s defense improve during the first four weeks of the competition. At the team level, though, the output did not continue.
The result was that the play of the Mansfield, Texas, native started to falter, while true freshman Ja’Keem Jackson started to establish himself as a regular player and Moore took on a more significant role as his health improved. Florida has a number of choices to choose from going into the 2024 season thanks to the play of Moore and Jackson.
The seasoned Kimber decides to leave the Florida program after two seasons as a result. At the end of his career, he leaves the Gators having made 25 appearances (11 starts) and recorded 36 tackles, six pass breakups, one interception, and one score.