Lincoln Kienholz entered the college football world under the weight of some pretty high expectations.
From Pierre, South Dakota, he was ranked as the No. 11 quarterback in the 2023 class, and he committed to the Ohio State Buckeyes out of high school.
As a senior, Kienholz threw for 3,422 yards and 46 touchdowns compared to just six interceptions while also rushing for 1,436 yards and 24 touchdowns. That’s 70 total touchdowns, which is incredible.
At Ohio State, he played sparingly as a freshman, took a redshirt in 2024, and then competed with Heisman Trophy finalist Julian Sayin in the fall of 2025 before ultimately becoming Ohio State’s QB2.
Sayin became one of the best quarterbacks in the country for OSU, so Kienholz entered the portal in January 2026, and he eventually wound up with the Louisville Cardinals.
He’s now expected to be Louisville’s starting quarterback this season and along the way, he’s just made some major money via a big-time NIL deal.
According to On3, Kienholz has signed a six-figure deal with adidas as a brand ambassador.
