Louisville’s path to the top of the ACC may come down to one thing, and CBS Sports made that point pretty plainly: the Cardinals’ biggest question is at quarterback.
That’s not exactly a small issue for a team with real expectations. Louisville is being viewed as one of the ACC’s top contenders, and earlier this summer CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford put the Cardinals among the three teams he believes can win the conference. With the season closing in fast, the spotlight is already on Jeff Brohm and whether he can get Louisville back to Charlotte, then push it all the way to the program’s first ACC title and first College Football Playoff trip.
The roster around the quarterback is part of why the ceiling looks so high. Brohm kept key pieces such as Isaac Brown and Keyjuan Brown in place, while also bringing in playmakers Tre Richardson, Lawayne McCoy and Brody Foley. But the most important addition may be the one tasked with running it all: 4-star transfer Lincoln Kienholz from Ohio State.
Crawford didn’t dance around the issue when asked about Louisville’s biggest question.
“My big question is, can Lincoln Kienholz, the transfer from Ohio State, can he be the difference maker in his first season as a Power Four starter?” Crawford stated.
“Obviously he lost the job last fall to Julian Sayin, who wound up being a Heisman finalist. Now, gets a chance to lead an offense that has plenty of weapons around him.”
Kienholz arrives in Louisville with plenty of pedigree, even if the game reps at Ohio State were limited. He was ranked as high as No. 187 overall and No. 22 among quarterbacks in the transfer rankings, and he threw the ball just 36 times with the Buckeyes. Still, Ohio State pursued him hard after landing him in the 2023 recruiting class, a sign of how much the program thought of him.
The South Dakota native was also a highly regarded high school quarterback. He came out of the 2023 class as a 4-star recruit, ranked as high as No. 172 overall and No. 11 among quarterbacks.
His senior season numbers were eye-catching: 3,422 passing yards and 46 touchdowns. Over his high school career, he piled up 9,100 yards and 104 touchdowns.
Crawford believes the fit could be strong in Brohm’s offense, and he even floated a huge statistical ceiling.
“I think he fits into this Louisville scheme quite well, and he could be a guy that challenges for a 3,000-yard passing and 1,000-yard rushing type season if he stays healthy,” stated Crawford on Kienholz at Louisville.
For now, the job belongs to Kienholz, and Brohm has made it clear he’s high on his new starter. If Louisville is going to turn all that talent into a run at the ACC crown, the quarterback has to be the one to make it happen.
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