Boom! And just like that, Jeff Brohm and Louisville football waste no time and secure their starting quarterback for the 2026 season. As all Louisville Cardinals fans were getting ready for bed Saturday evening, their phones started ringing as they learned they had earned their second commitment from the Transfer Portal. Former Ohio State quarterback Lincoln Kienholz wasted no time, committing to the Cardinals last night after reportedly being on campus and quickly signing with Louisville after wrapping up a visit.
The Cardinals lost three quarterbacks to the portal earlier this offseason after Brady Allen, Deuce Adams, and Mason Mims all transferred, and former starting quarterback Miller Moss graduated. So, with Louisville in dire need of its next starting QB, fans are thrilled to hear that the Ohio State transfer committed to Louisville early on in the portal window.
BREAKING: Ohio State transfer QB Lincoln Kienholz has Committed to Louisville, @On3Sports has learned
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 4, 2026
Repped by @TheFamilie_ , @timvizzi , @schmahula , @bnm_nil https://t.co/RlUbB6EMhS pic.twitter.com/wgYh3d62Pr
Louisville football lands its next starting QB
With the Transfer Portal opening just a couple of days ago on Jan. 2, Cardinals fans were trying to piece together who their next star quarterback could be. Louisville was linked to Dylan Raiola, DJ Lagway, Josh Hoover, and Kienholz, but once the portal opened, everything went quiet. It didn’t seem like Kienholz's visit to Louisville was well-known, as no major source reported it, so when the news broke, it was shocking to everyone.
Now, Louisville has its elite QB for next season, and he is someone Brohm can develop, as he has two years of eligibility left. He most likely accepted significantly less if Louisville had landed a player like Lagway or Raiola. Kienholz is a 3-star transfer ranked as high as 91 in the portal and the 16th-best quarterback.
He is a former 4-star recruit who committed to Ohio State as the No. 138 recruit in the nation and the No. 11 quarterback in the 2023 class. During his time with Ohio State, the 6-foot-2, 214-pound quarterback has completed 58.3 percent of his 36 passes over three seasons, including 11-of-14 for 139 yards and a touchdown in 2025. He was in the race for the starting job this past offseason before Ryan Day eventually gave the spot to Julian Sayin.
He brings championship experience as he won the 2024 National Championships with Ohio State, and while he didn’t log a snap with the Buckeyes that season, he was part of the team and knows what it takes to not only go to the College Football Playoffs, but to win the whole thing.
Louisville quickly earned two commitments in the first two days of the Transfer Portal window. The Cards can now focus on other positions, such as wide receiver, defensive line, and offensive line. The portal will remain open until Jan. 16.
Related: Who's coming and who's going: Louisville football 2026 Transfer Portal tracker
For all the latest recruiting news and updates for Louisville football, stay tuned.