Lincoln Kienholz did not spend his three years at Ohio State building a long list of complaints. He spent most of that time waiting. Now that he has a starting job at Louisville, Kienholz was asked about the program and Ryan Day on Saturday. His answer was remarkably simple.

“It was a blessing,” Kienholz said while talking to ESPN’s GameDay. “Those three years there, I learned so much from Coach Day and his offense. Getting to practice against the best guys in the nation every day was a blessing. It put me in this position.”

That is a different way of looking back at Ryan Day’s camp than the usual transfer-portal story. Kienholz did not leave because he suddenly decided the program had failed him. The timing of his departure became crucial for him.

Kienholz arrived in Columbus in 2023 as a 4-star-rated QB from T.F. Riggs High School in Pierre, South Dakota. And he eventually became the first South Dakota player since Grant Schmidt to sign with the Buckeyes.

His first real taste of pressure came earlier than expected. In 2023 against Missouri, Devin Brown left with an injury, and Kienholz was pushed onto the field. Ohio State’s offense struggled badly in a 14-3 loss, and Kienholz finished 6-of-17 for 86 yards.

It was hardly the sort of debut anyone would use to judge a quarterback’s ceiling. The following season was quieter. Kienholz did not play. And then came 2025.

Kienholz competed with Julian Sayin and freshman Tavien St. Clair for Ohio State’s starting job during the preseason. Sayin won it and went on to complete 77% of his passes and become a Heisman finalist. Kienholz became the backup.

He appeared in seven games and completed 11 of 14 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 66 yards and two TDs. By January, the situation was fairly clear. Sayin was still around. Kienholz had two seasons of eligibility left.

If he wanted to develop into an NFL quarterback, sitting again was not going to help. Kienholz had already discussed that with Ryan Day and quarterbacks coach Billy Fessler before entering the portal.

“My goal is to go to the NFL, and in order to do that, you gotta play,” Kienholz said at the time.

Louisville gave him that chance. Jeff Brohm brought him in January, and offensive coordinator Brian Brohm later said Kienholz had the arm strength and athletic ability to add another dimension to the offense.

The Louisville staff also liked what it had seen from his Ohio State practice film and the limited game reps available. Three games into the 2026 season, the decision looks very different from the outside.

Kienholz has completed 48 of 73 passes for 816 yards and six touchdowns without throwing an interception. He has added 153 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. And the way he is playing right now is truly exciting to watch.

Kienholz has a real chance to guide Louisville to the playoffs this year

Louisville has generally leaned toward QBs who operated more from the pocket. Kienholz has now allowed Brohm to add more read-run concepts while still keeping the offense pass-first. That has shown up immediately.

Kienholz is not simply scrambling whenever his first read disappears. He has become a legitimate part of the run game. He has carried 32 times with 82 yards coming after contact. Four of his rushing touchdowns have come in just three games.

“I think Louisville is a contender to make the playoffs,” former Georgia All-American David Pollack said on his podcast. “I think Louisville has a decent chance. I love their offense. Is there a more explosive offense in the country that can make you pay as they can?”

The physicality has given Kienholz an escape valve when a passing play breaks down. Instead of forcing a throw into traffic, Kienholz usually escapes, picks up yards, or resets the play. He has seven off-script scrambles for 36 yards so far. As for his arm talent?

Kienholz has the arm to make defenses defend the whole field. His 54-yard touchdown to Lawayne McCoy against Ole Miss came after he escaped pressure and created the throw. Against SMU, he produced another long touchdown to McCoy, this time for 33 yards.

The next test for him is against Wake Forest on Saturday, and the Cardinals are 13.5-point favorites. In all, for a player who spent three years waiting at Ohio State, Kienholz has done pretty well so far. So much so, many fans are now wondering if Ryan Day made the wrong decision regarding his QB1 last year.