New Louisville Cardinals quarterback Lincoln Kienholz is just the latest edition of the “Brohm Project” at starting quarterback. This will be head coach Jeff Brohm’s fourth different starting quarterback in his four years at Louisville. Few have come with the kind of hype that Kienholz has arrived with. As well as Brohm has worked his magic with the three others, winning at least nine games in three consecutive seasons, Kienholz could be his best trick yet.
The main difference in the hype surrounding Kienholz is that it is just that — hype. All three other quarterbacks that Brohm has coached at Louisville came in with at least four years of experience and 400-plus passing attempts in real game action. They all also eventually made it onto an NFL roster, with Tyler Shough starting last year for the New Orleans Saints. They all won at least nine games, and Plummer took Brohm to an ACC Championship game appearance as well.
Kienholz has some big shoes to fill on what could be Brohm’s best roster at Louisville yet. It is a tall task for a player who has only attempted 36 passes in game action. The good news for Kienholz is that it is not solely on his shoulders to be successful for Cards fans this year. He has a talented defense, two stud running backs and new transfers at receiver that should help him keep Louisville in a lot of games. This kind of opportunity is one that most athletes hope for, and it is up to Kienholz to take this team as far as he is able.
Here are three reasons why Kienholz could possibly lead Louisville to its first CFP appearance.
3. Completion Percentage
In Brohm’s three seasons at Louisville, each of his quarterbacks has had a completion percentage of at least 62.7%. Jack Plummer, Tyler Shough and Miller Moss averaged a 63.9% completion percentage in their seasons as Louisville quarterbacks. This helped the offense keep moving, with high-percentage throws built into the offense and easy completions available for quarterbacks learning the new pro-style offense.
For Kienholz, this should be his bread and butter. Though he has only thrown 36 passes in his college career, he had a completion percentage of 78.6% last season, and as a senior in high school, he completed 66.5% of his throws. If he can maintain that style of play, mixed with making plays with his legs, there is no reason why this offense shouldn’t come naturally to Kienholz.
High-percentage throws to big, open receivers are how Brohm designs his offense, and Kienholz’s accuracy could be a huge difference-maker for Louisville this year. If he can consistently make the easy throws and avoid putting the offense behind the chains, he could give the Cardinals exactly what they need from their quarterback.
2. Touchdown-Turnover Ratio
One thing that Plummer, Shough and Moss were able to do was take care of the ball while still putting points on the board. Over the last three seasons, Louisville quarterbacks have combined for 71 total touchdowns compared to just 31 turnovers. That equates to a 2.3 touchdown-to-turnover ratio for Louisville quarterbacks under Brohm.
That kind of ball protection, along with a bend-but-don’t-break defense and a friendly run game, has been a key to Brohm’s success as head coach of the Cards.
Even with limited NCAA action, Kienholz has shown an ability to protect the rock. Last season, he accounted for three touchdowns and no turnovers in limited game action. In his junior and senior years of high school, Kienholz totaled 119 touchdowns with just 12 interceptions, with fumbles not included here.
That kind of ratio — scoring while limiting costly mistakes — would be a huge way for Kienholz to prove that he is, in fact, the man for the job. While his talent ceiling is high, Brohm would much prefer a high floor when it comes to turnovers from his new quarterback.
If Kienholz can consistently protect the football, Louisville’s talent at the other positions should give him plenty of opportunities to win games without having to put the entire offense on his shoulders.
1. Running Game
Another huge staple of a Brohm offense is a talented backfield of running backs. He has had two seasons where his top back ran for over 1,000 yards, and he has had a running back tandem where his top two backs combined for over 1,500 yards every season. Some of the most notable names include Jawhar Jordan, Isaac Guerendo, Isaac Brown and Keyjuan Brown. With the law offices of Brown and Brown returning this season, Brohm once again should have a running game to rely on.
What is new this year is that he has a dual-threat quarterback who can add another dimension to the rushing attack each week. Kienholz was highly touted as an accurate prospect who can also make plays with his legs. In his junior and senior years of high school, he rushed for over 2,600 yards and 36 touchdowns. Last season, he averaged 6.6 yards per carry on just 10 rushing attempts. Obviously, that is a small sample size, but it still points to the fact that Kienholz does have the ability to use his legs when needed.
He brings an escapability and athletic play-making ability to Louisville that the Cardinals simply haven’t had at the quarterback position under Brohm. If Kienholz can use his legs to extend plays, make defenders miss in the open field and force defenses to scheme for him, then he could become a very dangerous weapon for Louisville this season. His combination of arm and leg talent, along with Brohm’s ability to scheme for his best athletes, could mean a lot of wins for Louisville this season.
The biggest question surrounding the Cardinals heading into 2026 is whether Kienholz can handle the pressure that comes with being a first-year starter. But if he can complete the easy throws, protect the football and add another dimension to an already talented rushing attack, there is a legitimate path for Louisville to make a run at its first College Football Playoff appearance.
Kienholz doesn’t need to be the next Joe Burrow or Cam Ward. He just needs to be the quarterback that this Louisville roster needs him to be.
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