Louisville's Lincoln Kienholz earning the respect of coaches and teammates
Ohio State transfer quarterback Lincoln Kienholz is far from a finished product.
But that was always part of the upside when Jeff Brohm and Louisville snagged the 6-foot-2, 215-pound signal-caller out of the Transfer Portal in January. After all, Kienholz had been in a quarterback battle for one of the nation’s best teams up until the season’s first week. So, while hungry for meaningful snaps, he also has two years of eligibility remaining, giving the Brohms an opportunity to mold someone they hand-picked through on the field reps.
There will be no quarterback battle for Kienholz this time around. The starting job at Louisville is his, and he’s already well on his way to gaining the trust of his teammates and developing into a top-half passer in the ACC.
Of the three one-and-done quarterbacks that the Cardinals have had under Brohm’s leadership, the former Buckeye is far and away the most athletic.
“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.”
In watching five of the Cards’ spring practices, Kienholz’s legs were a key part of the offense. Louisville had several designed quarterback runs, draws, fake pitches, and even used both Kienholz and the running backs out on the perimeter on speed options. With a pocket-passers of the world, Jack Plummer, Miller Moss, and Tyler Shough, Louisville’s run game was solely dependent on the room of running backs coach Chris Barclay.
It’s no secret that the unit was worn down by the end of last fall.
However, Keinholz’s legs haven’t just been weapons in Louisville’s play design. In the 11-on-11 segments of practice, he also scrambled, made plays outside the pocket, and showed creativity when plays broke down.
“I envision us using his legs, using his athleticism in some of the QB run-game, read-game, read-option game,” quarterbacks coach Brian Brohm said. “He can do all those things, that maybe we haven’t done much in the past. He adds another element to the offense that we haven’t had.”
At T.F. Riggs High School in Pierre, South Dakota, the junior was a two-sport athlete, starring in both basketball and football. And while he may not stand out from his physical stature, he does have a commanding presence and a bit of swagger under center that has seemed to be missing from the room in recent years. Teammates like star running back Isaac Brown and center Lance Robinson have been quick to praise Kienholz and his play through spring practice.
“I like Lincoln,” said Robinson. “Gritty. Athletic. Good arm. Smart. That’s just a couple of things to describe him…when he first committed in the portal cycle, I hit him up, got on FaceTime with him the same night. Getting that relationship with him, he always hanging out with the guys…that’s real big.”
“In terms of his play on the field, I feel like he’s been adapting well. He’s taking command of our offense…he’s become a great leader for our team.
Kienholz’s experience is in question, and it’s what separates him from the other quarterbacks the U of L has had under Brohm. He’s yet to start a game at the college level and has only attempted more than 10 passes just once in his college career — the Cotton Bowl against Missouri in 2023. Then, after not playing in all of 2024, Kienholz appeared in six games this past fall, all garbage time snaps. He’s never lost any confidence.
“Alpha’s gonna show themselves,” Robinson added. “When he speaks, everybody gets quiet. That’s what I like about Lincoln.”
The arm will be the difference-maker for Kienholz. Louisville has been without two of its top new pass catchers this spring in TE Brody Foley and WR Tre Richardson, so the Cardinals’ full capabilities in the passing game are still to be seen. But players seem to have developed a nice early chemistry with their new quarterback, who’s done everything right except take the field.
The first real look at Jeff Brohm’s fourth edition of Louisville football is right around the corner, with the spring game scheduled for Friday, April 17, but that could be affected by severe weather.
