Lincoln Kienholz has wasted no time making his presence felt at Louisville.
After three seasons buried on Ohio State’s depth chart, the quarterback has landed with the Cardinals and quickly started to look like the kind of player ready to grab a team and steer it. The chance to do that is exactly what he was chasing after spending 2023 at Pierre, S.D., Riggs High School as one of the country’s top quarterback prospects.
Kienholz said the leadership piece has been building for a while, even before he got to Louisville.
"I feel like my past three years at Ohio State I was actually on a leadership committee," Kienholz told Cardinal Authority. "It was it was a bunch of players that would come in and and talk about certain situations on the team and make decisions. So I felt like once I kind of established myself on the team a little bit and found my voice from there I could just I could take over."
That voice has carried into spring practice, where he has shown he can attack defenses at different levels and use his legs to pick up yards when the play breaks down. Senior offensive lineman Lance Robinson has seen that confidence grow week by week.
"He's a gritty kid from South Dakota," Robinson said. "Real athletic kid, real funny kid.
I ain't gonna lie, super athletic. He can run, he can jump.
He's a beast and he's a tremendous leader."
Robinson has been one of the steadying presences in the locker room himself, entering his third season at Louisville and taking charge early with the newcomers. But even he has noticed the shift.
"Lately, Lincoln doesn't let me say nothing like that," Robinson noted. "He's got it, for sure. He's that guy."
Kienholz is also quick to point to the talent around him. He likes the shape of this offense and believes the pieces are there for Louisville to make noise if everyone does his job.
"We have some great pieces all over the field," Kienholz said. "The o-line is awesome.
We got two great backs. We've got three awesome receivers.
We got some tight ends. I think the sky is the limit at this point.
As long as everyone's doing their job and putting the work in, I think we'll be successful"
That first real test comes early. Louisville opens against Ole Miss on Sept. 6 in Nashville, Tenn., and Kienholz sees it as a chance to put the Cardinals in front of a national audience.
"Just to get to go out there, first game, and just kind of showcase what we've been working for and just kind of put the team on the map - I think there's a bunch of players on the team that I feel like have gotten overlooked a little bit and so I think it is a great opportunity for players to step up and do their thing and kind of get watched on national television."
For Kienholz, the drive behind all of it is personal. He says the motivation starts with his family and the life he wants to build for them.
"I didn't come from a whole lot, so I'm trying to set up me and my family for the rest of our lives. I think that's something I wake up every single day and I'm striving toward."
He also made clear just how much he values Louisville’s backfield, singling out Isaac Brown and Keyjuan Brown as a pair he believes can change games.
"I think we have two of the best running backs in the nation... I honestly think we're just blessed to have both of them because, I mean, both of them could be probably anywhere in the country right now."
In Other News...
Louisville Suddenly Has A New Recruiting Tease At Point Guard
Tai Bell has quietly become one of the more intriguing names on Louisvilles early point guard board. The 2028 four-star from Miami Columbus is already drawing national attention, with 27 offers and a list of campuses he has seen in person, and he has been in contact with the Cardinals staff as he continues sorting through a fast-moving recruitment. He is ranked No. 28 in his class by 247Sports, but Bell clearly sees room to climb and is treating the process like a long runway rather than a quick decision.
For Louisville, the appeal is obvious: Bell is talented, still early in his high school career, and open enough to keep the Cardinals in the conversation if the relationship keeps growing. He has also pointed to the way Mikel Brown Jr. fit into the program as part of what makes Louisville interesting, which gives the staff a natural selling point as it keeps evaluating whether to push ahead. For now, the next step seems to be more contact and more clarity, with official visits still not on the calendar. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Kelsey Is Making Louisville A Real Threat For Elite Forward
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Kamissoko has talked openly about his ongoing communication with Kelsey and his interest in how Louisville plays, which gives the Cardinals a real foothold in a crowded recruiting race. With top programs circling and visits still a topic to watch, the next step in the process could go a long way toward showing whether Louisville is simply involved or truly emerging as a serious threat here. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Kelsey Just Sent Another Big Recruiting Signal At Louisville
Pat Kelseys staff keeps showing it is willing to get in early and stay aggressive on the trail, and the latest example came with a scholarship offer to one of the top wings in the 2027 class. The move fits the broader push around Louisville basketball right now, with the Cardinals working to build real momentum with elite prospects before the cycle gets crowded and the national heavyweights fully settle in.
The recruiting board is already taking shape around several high-end targets, and this latest offer only adds to the sense that Louisville wants to be in the mix for a class with real upside. Asa Montgomerys profile has drawn plenty of attention nationally, and the Cardinals are also chasing other premier names such as Darius Wabbington and DeMarcus Henry as Kelsey continues to signal that the program plans to recruit at a much higher level. [Read more 🡒]