The Ohio State football program has decided that Julian Sayin is the proper starter quarterback. That seemed to be the right decision, especially after he was a Heisman Finalist last season. This upcoming season, he should be even better, since it's his second year as a starter.
Lincoln Kienholz decided to transfer away from the program. It was the right move, as he was never going to see playing time as a starter. Quite frankly, it was surprising that he didn't decide to make the move to the Transfer Portal sooner. In any case, he transferred to Louisville.
With the Cardinals, he has a realistic shot to land the starting job. He never would have been able to do that with the Ohio State Buckeyes. Now, he has decided to sign an NIL deal with one of the biggest sponsors that is a rival to the Ohio State football program.
Ex-Ohio State quarterback Lincoln Kienholz signs an NIL deal with Adidas
Kienholz has decided to sign an NIL deal with Adidas, which is a direct competitor to Nike. Nike is perhaps the biggest sponsor that the Buckeyes have. In fact, Chris Henry Jr. decided to sign an NIL deal with Nike, which make shim the third current Buckeye to do so.
If Kienholz can get a six-figure deal signing with a company, that's good for him. He hasn't accomplished anything as a pro. That deal seems to signal that he will be the starting quarterback for the Cardinals this year. However, that doesn't mean that he is guaranteed the job.
Kienholz will likely still have to compete in Fall camp for that job. He is used to having to fight for playing time, as he had to do that in order to become the backup for the Buckeyes a season ago. Now, he has a realistic shot to start for a Power 4 program, which is what he wanted.
The Ohio State football program won't miss Lincoln Kienholz
The Buckeyes won't miss Kienholz on the depth chart. He was strictly with the Buckeyes to provide depth at the quarterback position. He never really had an opportunity to be the starter. Julian Sayin came in last season and made sure that he was going to grab that starting job.
This is the best chance that Kienholz has of actually getting some attention from NFL scouts. He is going to be the starting quarterback for a team that has aspirations of winning the ACC this season. Whether or not Kienholz has the talent to lead the team to an ACC title remains to be seen.
Ohio State fans will likely be rooting for Kienholz next season. Since Louisville doesn't play the Buckeyes, it makes sense for fans to be rooting for him. He has a lot of raw talent, but he hasn't really gotten a chance to show it. The only chance he had was in the 2023 Cotton Bowl, and that did not go well.
It would be cool to see Kienholz do well as a starter.
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