Lincoln Kienholz embraces ACC leap from Ohio State and is eager to spark Louisville’s offense
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Lincoln Kienholz reached out to another former Ohio State quarterback for advice about jumping to an Atlantic Coast Conference team before choosing Louisville. Kyle McCord’s advice was yes, the ACC has talent even if the league doesn’t get the same buzz as the Big Ten or Southeastern Conference.
“You got Miami. You got Louisville,” Kienholz said. “Just different teams like that, where I think there’s a lot of talent, but they just kind of go under the radar a little bit.
” That swayed the prized recruit to Louisville through the transfer portal, and he is on a mission to help the Cardinals win. His first chance to show Louisville fans what he can do comes as the Cardinals wrap up practice with their spring game. Kienholz spent the past three seasons at Ohio State and backed up Julian Sayin last season as the Buckeyes reached the College Football Playoff for the second consecutive year.
When Kienholz went looking for a new opportunity, Louisville was the program that intrigued the 6-foot-2 South Dakotan. The quarterback made sure to do other homework before his decision. Not just on Louisville coach Jeff Brohm and his younger brother Brian Brohm, the Cardinals’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, but also on their history of developing quarterbacks.
He came away impressed on both. “Just being a quarterback, I think that’s an offense you want to play for,” Kienholz said. The Cardinals wanted someone to bolster an offense that dropped off quite a bit from 2024.