Louisville didn’t just dip into the transfer portal for a quarterback. Jeff Brohm may have landed the kind of player who can change the temperature around the entire offense.
Lincoln Kienholz arrived after three seasons at Ohio State, where the former four-star recruit attempted just 36 passes. For Louisville fans, the main headline was that he had pushed five-star QB and Heisman candidate Julian Sayin for a starting job.
The rest was projection. Through two games, though, Kienholz has done more than meet the hype - he’s started to look like the real thing.
ACC Network analyst Tom Luginbill put the buzz into plain language before the SMU matchup.
“I am going to go so far and say, I think this is the most dangerous quarterback that Jeff Brohm has ever coached during his time as a college coach,” stated Luginbill. “I didn’t really know what to expect going into this year because it deviated so much from what their plan has been previously.”
That’s a strong claim, but the early returns give it some teeth. Kienholz needed a little time to settle in during the opener, then took over in the second half against Ole Miss before carrying that momentum into the Villanova game.
The numbers have piled up fast. Kienholz became the first Louisville quarterback to throw for 275 yards, two touchdowns, and rush for two touchdowns in one half since Lamar Jackson in 2016. He also became the first Cardinal to throw for 300 yards or more in his debut.
Through two games, he’s sitting at No. 4 in the league with a 91.7 QBR. He’s also inside the top 35 with four passing touchdowns and ranks No. 16 with 639 passing yards. Just as important, he hasn’t turned it over once.
And then there’s the part that makes him feel different: the legs. Kienholz has already run for 111 yards and three touchdowns, and Louisville has seen him extend plays by rolling right and throwing on the move. That ability to keep a drive alive with both his arm and his feet is a big reason the excitement around him keeps growing.
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Louisville Faces A Home Test That Could Say Plenty Early
Louisvilles early-season momentum will get another useful measuring stick when it returns home for a matchup that should tell a bit more about where the Cardinals really stand. The larger college football slate has already offered a few reminders that rankings and reputation can shift quickly, with wins by teams like Alabama, Indiana and Boise State reshaping the conversation, and Louisville has done enough to stay part of that discussion.
Now the focus turns to a conference test against SMU, the kind of game that can help separate a fast start from something more durable. The setup matters because Louisville has looked good enough to earn attention, but this is the sort of home date that tends to reveal whether a team is built to keep climbing or still has some proving to do. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Faces An Early ACC Test That Could Change Everything
An early September trip to SMU has already started to feel bigger than a standard nonconference measuring stick for Louisville. With ACC title hopes still wide open, the Week 3 meeting carries the kind of conference leverage that can shape the rest of the fall, and ESPNs Rece Davis recently put a spotlight on it as one of the games that could help determine who emerges as Miamis strongest challenger in the league race.
The draw is easy to see. Both teams have quarterbacks producing at a national level in total offense, with Kevin Jennings and Louisvilles Lincoln Kienholz giving the matchup real juice under center. For Louisville, the stakes go beyond just a resume win, because the victor in this one could leave the door open to a serious run at the ACC Championship game while the loser is left trying to climb back into the picture. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Just Found Itself In A Real Fight For Elite 2027 Recruit
Louisvilles 2027 recruiting board already has some serious star power on it, and DeMarcus Henry is the name that keeps jumping out. The five-star forward has picked up more than 29 offers, giving the Cardinals plenty of company in a chase that has quickly become one of the more competitive battles on their horizon. With Louisville actively working multiple prospects in the class, Henry stands out as the kind of talent that can reshape a recruiting haul if a staff can keep pace.
The race is only getting tighter from here. Henry is coming off an official visit to UConn and is set to head to Arkansas this weekend, a stretch that will give him a fresh look at three major programs in short order. Louisville remains firmly in the mix, which is exactly where the Cardinals want to be at this stage, but the next round of visits will go a long way toward showing just how strong their position really is. [Read more 🡒]