Lincoln Kienholz garnered a lot of recognition from Desmond Howard as the Louisville Cardinals make their way through the 2026 season.

Kienholz started the fourth season of his collegiate career, his first with the Cardinals. He played the first three years at Ohio State, serving as a backup quarterback.

Kienholz won the starting job at Louisville and hasn't looked back. He showed off his dual threat talents in the team's games against Ole Miss and Villanova, earning praise from Howard on Saturday.

“One of the biggest surprises so far for me this season has been quarterback Lincoln Kienholz, the quarterback at Louisville, transferred from Ohio State, dual threat quarterback. Let me show you my scouting report on this young man. Man, this guy is a baller. Dual threat, like I said, elite athlete,” Howard said on ESPN College GameDay.

“He's a dual threat. Fantastic runner. Reading the left end. The left end widens out. Great blocking up front. Watch Kienholz. Not only is he a willing runner, this guy loves to run the ball. He gets better after contact, averaging 5.5 yards of carry. Already three touchdowns on the ground this season…There's never a dead play when Kienholz is behind center. I love what I've seen so far from this young man.”

"There's never a dead play when Kienholz is behind center."@DesmondHoward loves what he's seeing from Louisville QB Lincoln Kienholz 📈 pic.twitter.com/NuO8FhtRW6

— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 19, 2026

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What lies ahead for Lincoln Kienholz, Louisville

Lincoln Kienholz and Louisville are due for a big clash against SMU. Both teams are in the AP Top 25, paving the way for a great ranked matchup this weekend.

Kienholz needs to set the offensive tone with his play at quarterback, delivering huge passes in critical moments. This season, he has completed 34 out of 50 passes for 639 yards and four touchdowns. Kienholz has also been active in the run game, racking up 20 carries for 111 net yards and three touchdowns.

The No. 23 Cardinals look forward to hosting the No. 16 Mustangs. That game commences on Sept. 19 at 3:30 p.m. ET.