The Louisville Cardinals' starting quarterback situation is technically fluid right now. With that said, Jeff Brohm is likely to land on his guy soon. That guy is almost certainly going to be former Ohio State Buckeyes QB Lincoln Kienholz.
As Bucknuts' Patrick Murphy notes, Kienholz being one of Brohm's selected representatives at ACC media day is likely a sign that the 4-star T.F. Riggs (SD) product will get the nod under center from the jump.
"It would be a major surprise if Kienholz were not named the Cardinals' starting quarterback heading into the 2026 season. His competition is West Georgia transfer Davin Wydner and true freshman Briggs Cherry, neither of whom has the Power Four-level experience Kienholz has. Head coach Jeff Brohm spoke positively about Kienholz throughout the spring, highlighting his athleticism and how Louisville can use a quarterback like him in his offense. Kienholz was recently named one of the Cardinals' three representatives for ACC Kickoff, an indication of his early standing within the program," Murphy wrote.
Kienholz has had a great spring in Louisville, completing 10/16 of his pass attempts during the spring game. He comes to the Cards with three valuable seasons in Ryan Day's system and using the Woody Hayes Athletic Center to sharpen his skills and get his strength up to snuff.
On paper, Kienholz is a perfect fit. Brohm certainly thinks so, having sung Kienholz's praises back in February before he even got an extended look at the QB.
“Lincoln brings us a dimension we have not had here before. He’s a very good athlete,” Brohm told the media in February. “He shows that every day, even now, up until this point. He can throw the football as well; he’s had to sit back and watch and learn…he knows his time is now. We’re going to work very hard to help him play his best football as we get going into the season.”
Lincoln Kienholz will be an easy ex-Buckeye to cheer for
There's no doubt that Kienholz needed to leave Columbus. Not because he wasn't as well-liked as he is now in the Bluegrass State. Kienholz was just as beloved in Central Ohio, if anything, and it was tough to see him go.
It's just that sometimes you have to let go of what you love. Kienholz wasn't getting the most out of his career because of the great QBs he shared the room with, but he will in the ACC. In fact, the level of competition Kienholz faced in practice for the Scarlet and Gray puts him ahead of the curve.
Kienholz's transfer decision could end up being one of the most impactful in his new conference. Louisville is a legitimate contender in the ACC, having immediately launched to the top of the conference the minute Brohm showed up.
As Brohm said, he's never had a talent of the caliber of a Kienholz in his career with the Cardinals. This is clearly the best chance he's had to truly make noise.
And luckily, because of how he left OSU, Kienholz will be a very easy former Buckeye to cheer for in his next act.
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