After three years of development at Ohio State, Lincoln Kienholz is seeking a starting opportunity elsewhere.
The Buckeyes' backup quarterback announced he will enter the transfer portal on Thursday with two years of eligibility remaining.
Ohio State QB Lincoln Kienholz is entering the transfer portal, @TheFamilie_ tells @CBSSports.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 1, 2026
Was in a tight battle with Julian Sayin for Ohio States starting QB job this past offseason. Now set to be a hot commodity in the portal. Repped by @timvizzi, @schmahula and @bnm_nil. pic.twitter.com/EfU4kWduKS
Kienholz lost a reportedly tightly contested quarterback battle with Heisman Trophy finalist Julian Sayin in preseason camp before the 2025 campaign, and with Sayin having another year to go before he's eligible for the NFL draft, there was no clear plan for Kienholz to see the field in 2026, prompting his decision to transfer.
“I've definitely had conversations,” Kienholz told Eleven Warriors on Monday when asked if he had made a decision about his future plans. “I'm not 100% sure, but my goal is to go to the NFL, and in order to do that, you gotta play. So I've had conversations with Coach Day and also with Coach Fessler a little bit about it.”
Lincoln Kienholz says he hasnt made his final decision on whether hell enter the transfer portal, but hes discussed the possibility with Ryan Day and Billy Fessler.
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) December 29, 2025
I've definitely had conversations. I'm not 100% sure, but my goal is to go to the NFL, and in order to do pic.twitter.com/jSpSEmNZAI
The most extended playing time Kienholz received at Ohio State came during his freshman season in 2023, when he filled in for Devin Brown during that year's Cotton Bowl after the backup-turned-starter exited with an injury in the first half. As a redshirt sophomore in 2025, he completed 11 of 14 passes for 139 yards and one touchdown and rushed 11 times for 66 yards and two scores, seeing brief action in specialty packages and mop-up duty.
A four-star prospect in the recruiting class of 2023, Kienholz was a first-team All-State athlete in three sports at T.F. Riggs High School in Pierre, South Dakota, where he threw for 3,422 yards and rushed for 1,436 more as a senior. He posted 46 touchdowns through the air and another 24 on the ground.
Five-star prospect and current freshman Tavien St. Clair is slated to be Ohio State's backup quarterback in 2026 following Kienholz's departure, then likely Sayin's successor in 2027, assuming he leaves for the NFL draft. Three-star quarterback prospect Luke Fahey also signed with the Buckeyes in their 2026 recruiting class.
With redshirt senior and former Houston Christian quarterback Eli Brickhandler set to conclude his college career this season, Ryan Day may elect to add a veteran QB through the transfer portal for depth purposes, as the Buckeyes have done with Brickhandler, Tristan Gebbia (Oregon State), Gunnar Hoak (Kentucky) and Chris Chugunov (West Virginia) in recent years. That would give Ohio State four quarterbacks on its 2026 roster, which Day has stated in the past is his preferred number.
Kienholz is the third Buckeye to announce plans to enter the transfer portal, joining wide receiver Bryson Rodgers and tight end Jelani Thurman.
