With their 2023 season now completely in the books, the Louisville football program has dipped back into the transfer portal.
Jalen Kimber, a cornerback who spent the last two years of his collegiate career at Florida, announced late Friday night that he has committed to the Cardinals.
He's the first transfer commitment for Louisville following their loss to USC in the Holiday Bowl this past Wednesday, and their 12th portal pickup overall in this cycle.
The 6-foot, 185-pound corner was a reliable asset in Florida's secondary this past season. Playing in all 12 games with 11 starts, Kimber finished second on the Gators in pass breakups with five, while also collecting 23 tackles and a fumble recovery.
The Mansfield, Texas native spent the first two years of his collegiate career with Georgia, but saw minimal action, logging only three tackles and three total games played. During his first season with Florida in 2022, Kimber played all 13 games, and finished with 13 tackles plus an interception returned for a touchdown against USF.
Due to the anticipated roster movement at the cornerback spot, landing Kimber is a much needed recruiting win for Louisville. They are set to lose Storm Duck due to graduation, and are very likely to see both Quincy Riley and Jarvis Brownlee Jr. declare for the NFL Draft, although neither have done so yet. The Cardinals have also seen Derrick Edwards III and Marquis Groves-Killebrew transfer as well.
As a result, head coach Jeff Brohm and Louisville have been active in the portal when recruiting the secondary. Kimber is the fourth defensive back to transfer to Louisville in this cycle, following UCF cornerback Corey Thornton, Eastern Illinois safety Blake Ruffin and North Carolina cornerback Tayon Holloway. The Cardinals have also seen 11 scholarship players enter the portal since the winter transfer window opened on Dec. 4.
The Cardinals finished their 2023 season with an overall mark of 10-4 (7-1 in ACC) including a berth in the program's first ever ACC Championship Game, but ended year one under head coach Jeff Brohm on a three-game losing streak.
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