LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — With the 2023 season in the books, the Louisville football program has returned to the transfer site. Jalen Kimber, a cornerback who spent the final two years of his NCAA career at Florida, revealed his commitment to the Cardinals late Friday night. He is Louisville’s first transfer pledge following their Holiday Bowl loss to USC this past Wednesday, and their 12th portal pickup overall this cycle.
This past season, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound cornerback was a dependable addition in Florida’s secondary. Kimber finished second on the Gators in pass breakups with five, while also recording 23 tackles and a fumble recovery in 12 games played with 11 starts.
The Mansfield, Texas native spent the first two years of his collegiate career with Georgia, but saw little action, recording only three tackles and appearing in three games. Kimber played all 13 games in his debut season with Florida in 2022, finishing with 13 tackles and an interception returned for a touchdown against USF. Because of the expected roster movement at cornerback, securing Kimber is a much-needed recruiting gain for Louisville. Storm Duck is poised to graduate, and both Quincy Riley and Jarvis Brownlee Jr. are expected to declare for the NFL Draft, though neither has done so yet. Derrick Edwards III and Marquis Groves-Killebrew have both left the Cardinals.
As a result, Louisville and head coach Jeff Brohm have been active in the portal when recruiting the secondary. Kimber joins UCF cornerback Corey Thornton, Eastern Illinois safety Blake Ruffin, and North Carolina cornerback Tayon Holloway as the fourth defensive back to transfer to Louisville this cycle. Since the winter transfer window opened on December 4, the Cardinals have seen 11 scholarship athletes enter the portal. The Cardinals finished the 2023 season with an overall record of 10-4 (7-1 in the ACC), including a berth in the program’s first-ever ACC Championship Game, but ended the year on a three-game losing streak under head coach Jeff Brohm.
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