Louisville needed a quarterback out of the transfer portal, so it acted swiftly to secure one.
Former Ohio State quarterback Lincoln Kienholz visited Louisville quickly once the portal was open and made the decision to join the Cardinals while doing so.
Kienholz has two years of eligibility remaining.
Kienholz, a former four-star recruit from Pierre, South Dakota, who spent three seasons with the Buckeyes, officially entered the transfer portal on Friday and several programs quickly expressed an interest, but it was Louisville and Cincinnati that jumped out as the early front runners in the recruiting process.
In the end, the opportunity to play in the Jeff Brohm offense for a program with ACC Championship and Playoff expectations that won out.
A three-sport star at T.F. Riggs High School, Kienholz was chosen as the USA Today National High School Athlete of the Year in 2023. 247Sports listed the 6-foot-2, 214-pound Kienholz as the No. 138 overall prospect in his class and the No. 11 quarterback target nationally.
Kienholz appeared in 10 games over three seasons at Ohio State. In limited action he completed 21 of 36 attempts for 250 yards and a touchdown.
Speaking with Bucknuts two days before the Cotton Bowl, Kienholz pointed to his career goals as a reason to enter the transfer portal.
“My goal is to go to the NFL, and in order to do that, you’ve got to play,” he told the publication. “I’ve had conversations with (head coach Ryan) Day and also with (quarterbacks coach Billy) Fessler a little bit about it …Â “I just have to continue to be a hard-working person. I guess on and off the field, where that’s film or on the field, just pushing teammates and also just being that leader as well.”
The addition of Kienholz gives Jeff Brohm a high-upside athlete to plug into his offense. After waiting his turn behind a crowded depth chart in Columbus, Kienholz arrives in Louisville with a chip on his shoulder and a clear path to the starting job. If he can translate his raw high school production to the ACC, the Cardinals may have just found the missing piece for their 2026 campaign.