Jalen Kimber Joined Penn State's Secondary Intending to 'Uphold the Reputation'

The Nittany Lions cornerback played at Georgia and Florida before transferring to Penn State as a senior.

Penn State cornerback Jalen Kimber (3) and safety Jaylen Reed (1) celebrate after a defensive stop during the first quarter against West Virginia. / Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Penn State cornerback Jalen Kimber has played in three high-end, yet very unique, college football programs. He spent two seasons at Georgia but missed most of 2021 due to injury. Then Kimber played two years at Florida, where he totaled 26 tackles and an interception. Now a veteran in Penn State’s cornerback room, Kimber has experience in a variety of schemes and has worked alongside a variety of defensive players and coaches. 

As the Nittany Lions approach a road trip to Wisconsin this week, the senior described his time with the program, noting the strengths he and the rest of the defense have shown so far.

‘Uphold the reputation’

It isn’t often that Penn State coach James Franklin can bring in a defensive player with a background at schools like Georgia and Florida. After originally committing to Louisville out of the NCAA Transfer Portal, Kimber switched his sights to Penn State in January, joining AJ Harris as former SEC corners now playing in Happy Valley.

“You're talking about a guy who's played a bunch of football in serious conferences and [has] done it at a pretty high level, enough that we were very interested when he entered the portal. And then he came here and he's done the same thing,” Franklin said of Kimber in September. “He's a veteran guy. And I think we've talked before about the importance of having some older players that have played, whether it's here at Penn State or other places. There's value in that.”

Kimber has made 12 tackles for Penn State’s defense, which ranks sixth in FBS in yards allowed per game (262.5). Already with experience playing in multiple talented defenses, the cornerback committed to the Nittany Lions with high expectations. 

“The expectation that I [had] coming into this program is playing great defense,” Kimber said. “[Cornerbacks coach Terry Smith] has produced a lot of corners, especially the last few years. So I just wanted to come in, uphold the standard and uphold the reputation in the corner room. And that's something that I feel like we have been doing as a whole in the back end.”

The Nittany Lions built a reputation as one of the country’s best defensive units under former coordinator Manny Diaz in 2023. That production appealed to Kimber, who said his biggest development this season has been his physicality.

“[Smith] has helped me a lot with technique at the line of scrimmage and also just helping in the run game," Kimber said. "And I feel like I've improved on that tremendously. And it's something that I'm going to continue to push and continue to try to improve on. I just try to take each week for what it is. … I don't try to be Superman. I just try to go out there and do my job.”

Assessing Penn State’s secondary

While their time at Georgia never overlapped, Kimber and Harris made the move to Penn State in the same time frame. Before the 2024 season, defensive coordinator Tom Allen called the duo “tremendous assets” for the Nittany Lions, saying they helped turn one of the team’s biggest concerns into one of its strengths.

“Jalen Kimber is a guy that we brought here for the reason that he's proven is true, which was to come in here and be a guy that could be an impactful guy as a starter,” Allen said. “And that's what he is.”

Likewise, Harris has been one of the team’s strengths at the corner position. The sophomore leads the group with 19 tackles, has defended two passes and made one interception. In his praise for Harris on Wednesday, Kimber recognized the similar background the two have as former Bulldogs. 

“AJ is a tremendous player. He comes from a great program. I played at Georgia, and they pride [themselves] on great defense as well too,” Kimber said. “He just came and fit right in. And all he had to do is really just go out there and prove to himself why he's here at Penn State. And that's what he's been doing. AJ’s been playing great football, and each week he just keeps getting more confidence in making more plays.”

As a whole, Penn State’s secondary had question marks entering 2024. But those have mostly been addressed; the Nittany Lions are allowing just 167.5 passing yards per game. Even with an early injury to highly regarded safety prospect KJ Winston, the back end of the defense has found solid production. Safety Jaylen Reed, who leads the team in tackles with 39, has played a significant role in that.

“Whenever I see J-Reed on my side, I have full confidence and trust that J-Reed's going to do his job and make a play,” Kimber said. “He just makes plays all around the field. He’s a trustworthy guy.”

Playing in Penn State’s secondary also has its unique perks. Between Abdul Carter, Dani Dennis-Sutton, Zane Durant and more, the team owns one of the deepest and most versatile pass-rushing attacks in college football. Opposing offenses are usually scrambling to get the ball out quickly to avoid pressure, allowing Kimber and the rest of the defense to play “instinctive” under Allen. 

“They just cause so much havoc up front, which allows us to play aggressive and free,” Kimber said. “It just allows us to switch up our game plan to do different things in the back end.”

Coming out of its second bye week, Penn State is set to take on Wisconsin (5-2), which looks to make a statement at home. With their win over USC well in the rearview mirror, the Nittany Lions are ready to pick up where they left off.

“We can't come out sluggish or rusty, because we’re at a point in the season where we don't have time for that,” Kimber said. “We just want to come out and just continue to do what we've been doing, [and] that's playing good defense.”

Penn State (6-0) will face Wisconsin on Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.

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Daniel Mader, a May 2024 graduate of Penn State, is an Editorial Intern with The Sporting News. As a student journalist with The Daily Collegian, he served as a sports editor and covered Nittany Lions women’s basketball, men’s volleyball and more. He has also covered Penn State football for NBC Sports and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, with additional work in the Centre Daily Times, Lancaster Online and more. Follow him on X @DanielMader_    or Instagram @dmadersports.