Louisville football recently began spring practice, and the Cardinals are getting ready for their annual Spring Game, which will take place inside L&N Stadium on Friday, April 17, at 6 p.m. local time. Louisville fans are buzzing with excitement about this football program as Jeff Brohm continues to trend it up, with the Cardinals facing incredibly high expectations for the 2026 season.
3 Cardinals with the most to prove this spring for Jeff Brohm and Louisville football
Louisville had a monster of an offseason, landing 31 commitments from the portal, including multiple 4-star transfers. The Cardinals are ranked as high as No. 14 in ESPN’s Way-too-early rankings, but a lot will ride on their transfer quarterback, Lincoln Kienholz.
The Ohio State transfer didn’t see the field much during his three years with the Buckeyes, but when he was asked what he learned when he faced National Champion Will Howard and Heisman finalist Julian Sayin, he revealed how it shaped him into the quarterback he is today.
Lincoln Kienholz reveals biggest takeaway from battling Julian Sayin and Will Howard
Last year, Kienholz was in a quarterback battle with Sayin, who went on to be a Heisman finalist, but after the season ended, Kienholz hit the portal and decided it was his time to shine and be a starter. Brohm wasted no time, landing the Ohio State transfer quickly after the portal ended, and will now be Louisville’s QB1 for 2026.
Leaving a program like Ohio State, Louisville fans have high expectations for Kienholz. He is a former unanimous 4-star recruit and has already won a National Title back in 2024. So, when he came to Louisville, he revealed that the biggest thing he learned from his quarterback battles with Sayin and Howard was leadership.
“I think it is super important to learn things from them, but also for them to learn things from me," Kienholz stated Monday afternoon. "I think just having that back-and-forth, just to be able to compete on something, but then also ask questions and give answers. I think it is important to see the leadership and how to lead the team. I think Will did a great job with that and Julian as well last year. So, I think just moving into this year, just being that leader.”
Kienholz was a unanimous 4-star recruit out of high school after throwing 3,422 yards and 46 touchdowns in his senior year and 9,100 yards and 104 touchdowns in his three years as a starter. He ranked as high as No. 138 in the 2023 recruiting class and No. 11 among quarterbacks. He transferred to Louisville, ranked No. 166 in the portal and No. 18 among quarterbacks.
He didn’t earn a lot of snaps with Ohio State, but he did get reps against one of the best defenses in college football. Kienholz made it clear that he plans to bring that veteran leadership from Ohio State to Louisville, and he stated yesterday will always hold himself accountable and do whatever it takes to be perfect.
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For all the latest news and updates on Louisville football's 2025 season and recruiting, stay tuned.