Transfer to Louisville pays off for former Ohio State QB Lincoln Kienholz

Louisville Football quarterback Lincoln Kienholz (3). USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Transfer to Louisville pays off for former Ohio State QB Lincoln Kienholz

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated Jul 16, 2026 9:42 PM ET

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.

Louisville QB Lincoln Kienholz has inked a six-figure NIL deal with adidas, sources tell @On3.

The Ohio State transfer becomes the latest QB to join the apparel company’s growing list of NIL brand ambassadors. Repped by @TheFamilie_. https://t.co/Fapjmy9rhN pic.twitter.com/aWQrGglZQl
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) July 16, 2026

This could be the start of something big for Kienholz, because he absolutely has the trust of Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm.

“Lincoln’s definitely in that position where he’s paid his dues, sat behind somebody, learned and absorbed information, and now he knows it’s time to go out and show what he’s all about,” Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm recently told On3. “And you throw in that aspect with the fact that he’s got a good arm and he’s really athletic. He can do a great job for us.”

Last season as Sayin's backup, Kienholz completed 11 of just 14 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 66 yards and two touchdowns, so he'll bring a big dual-threat element to Brohm's offense in 2026.

Andrew Kulha

Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports

More must-reads: