Louisville’s preseason buzz starts in one place: Lincoln Kienholz.
With fall camp open and a Week 1 date with No. 10 Ole Miss looming, the Cardinals are getting a first real look at the quarterback Jeff Brohm brought in to run the offense. Louisville isn’t ranked in the preseason Coaches Poll, but a strong showing against the Rebels would send a loud message about what this team can be.
Brohm and Louisville went back to the transfer portal again this offseason, adding more than 32 transfers overall and, for the fourth straight year under Brohm, bringing in their starting quarterback through that route. This time, it’s Kienholz, the 4-star Ohio State transfer who arrives with plenty of pedigree and not much game experience.
Brohm made it clear he likes what he sees.
“We think he has excellent tools,” stated Brohm. “He does have a big arm.
He can throw the ball vertically, and with that he is a really good athlete. He can run.
He can make plays with his feet. He can throw on the move, and those things are all positive.
Those things are all pluses, and those show up.”
Kienholz came out of high school as a highly regarded recruit, ranked inside the top 200 and No. 11 among quarterbacks. He committed to Ohio State after drawing more than 13 offers, then spent his first three seasons with the Buckeyes, including a National Championship run, before heading to Louisville to take on a much bigger role.
His senior year numbers at the high school level were eye-catching: 3,422 passing yards and 46 touchdowns. He finished his prep career with 9,100 yards and 104 touchdowns.
The talent has always been there. Now Louisville needs it to show up on Saturdays.
Brohm says the mindset is there, too.
“I think he is hungry. I think he knows it is his time to prove himself.
I think we are going to put him in a system to get that done. Spread the ball a little bit, and not make it all about the passing game, but still try and be explosive.
I think he can play very well in our system.”
That’s the real hinge point for Louisville’s season. The Cardinals have the roster to chase the ACC, and Brohm has already guided them to one ACC Championship Game. But with Kienholz having only 36 pass attempts across three college seasons, this team’s ceiling depends on how quickly he turns promise into production.
Louisville doesn’t need him to put up video-game numbers. It needs him to win. Last year made that part obvious: if the Cardinals are going to handle the big games, they need quarterback play that holds up when the pressure spikes.
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