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. Louisville averaged 384.5 yards, just 69th in FBS, and 46th in points with 29.9 per game, last season after being 13th best in total offense with 449.2 yards per game and ninth scoring 36.5 points in 2024.

Jeff Brohm says Kienholz has “definitely showcased” the athleticism and running ability the staff thought he’d bring this spring. The key now is Kienholz continuing to learn the offense and be precise.

“(We’re) trying to develop him as an NFL quarterback that plays with poise, that can deliver the throw in the pocket,” the Louisville coach said.

The drop in offense along with injuries led to a three-game losing streak in November. That swoon took the Cardinals from No. 15 in the initial CFP rankings Nov. 4 to the Boca Raton Bowl in December.

Once he committed, Kienholz texted Isaac Brown, Louisville’s big-play running back the past two seasons who was looking at his own options. Kienholz told Brown he needed him. Brown returned not long after that.

The Cardinals did lose their top receivers Chris Bell and Caullin Lacy to graduation. Brohm brought in Vanderbilt’s Tre Richardson and Florida State’s Lawayne McCoy through the portal with TreyShun Hurry and Kris Hughes returning.

Receivers coach Deion Branch said Kienholz quickly took a leadership role. The two-time Super Bowl champion said Kienholz ran through about 15 plays with skill players when they returned to campus for the spring semester. Branch said the quarterback is working to build a bond between new and returning Cardinals.

Kienholz, a member of Ohio State’s 2024 national championship program, believes Louisville can be a contender this season.

“We got the pieces around us,” he said. “We just got to keep growing and keep looking forward.”