Louisville’s quarterback race may still be labeled “fluid,” but the signs are pointing in one direction fast: Lincoln Kienholz is on track to be Jeff Brohm’s starter.
The former Ohio State quarterback looks like the clear favorite to open the 2026 season as the Cardinals’ QB1, and his selection as one of Louisville’s three representatives at ACC Kickoff only strengthens that read. As Bucknuts’ Patrick Murphy put it, it would be “a major surprise” if Kienholz is not the guy when the season starts.
Murphy noted that Kienholz is competing with West Georgia transfer Davin Wydner and true freshman Briggs Cherry, and neither brings the Power Four experience Kienholz has already logged. Brohm has also been openly positive about Kienholz throughout the spring, pointing to the athleticism that makes him a natural fit in Louisville’s offense.
That fit showed up in the spring game, where Kienholz completed 10 of 16 passes. He arrives in Louisville after three seasons in Ryan Day’s system and time spent at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, where he worked to sharpen his game and add strength.
Brohm was already talking up Kienholz back in February, even before he had a long look at him on the field.
“Lincoln brings us a dimension we have not had here before. He’s a very good athlete,” Brohm told the media in February.
“He shows that every day, even now, up until this point. He can throw the football as well; he’s had to sit back and watch and learn…he knows his time is now.
We’re going to work very hard to help him play his best football as we get going into the season.”
Kienholz’s move out of Columbus looks like the kind of transfer that can change a career. He was well liked at Ohio State, but the crowded quarterback room kept him from getting the most out of his time there. At Louisville, the path is far clearer.
And the timing may be perfect. Louisville has already established itself as a serious ACC contender under Brohm, and Kienholz gives the program a quarterback with a different kind of ceiling than the Cardinals have had before, at least in Brohm’s view.
For Buckeye fans, he should be an easy one to root for in his next chapter.
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