The Ohio State Buckeyes revealed their Week 1 starting quarterback on Monday, and it was disappointing news for junior Lincoln Kienholz.
The battle to be the new starting QB for the defending champion Buckeyes was one of the biggest stories in college football this summer. While Julian Sayin was always viewed as the favorite, Lincoln Kienholz reportedly did a lot over the last couple of months to prove he deserved consideration to get the job. On Monday, head coach Ryan Day announced the team’s starter for Week 1 versus Texas.
“My responsibilities to the Buckeyes, my responsibilities to this team, and making sure we’re ready to play in 12 days. That being said, Julian Sayin will be the starting quarterback against Texas,” Day announced during his Monday press conference. “It was a close competition. I think both guys, we all feel confident, can win a game for us. I think Julian really separated himself over the last week with consistent play.
Kienholz was not expected to win the starting job. However, in camp, he proved worthy of the position for an elite program. And his coach confirmed that today. So what does that mean for the third-year player? Could his future in college football be elsewhere?
Will Lincoln Kienholz transfer after losing the Ohio State QB battle?
Kienholz is in a very tough position because, as Cleveland.com Ohio State beat writer Stephen Means explained today, the young prospect had been building to this opportunity over the last three summers.
“The plan for his career was always about the long game,” Means wrote. “His task was to spend the first two years of his career developing behind the scenes, so that when Year 3 came around, he could take his best shot at the title of QB1.”
Well, the quarterback took his shot this summer and came up just short. However, many college football experts believe Sayin could be a top 10 QB in the nation by the end of the season. And Kienholz nearly beat him out for the OSU job. It certainly suggests he would be a lock to start at a lesser school if he entered the transfer portal.
He has three more seasons of eligibility. Could he stick around for another season in Columbus in 2026? Certainly. He feels comfortable with the program. But Sayin also has three more years of eligibility. And if Kienholz could not beat him out for the job this Summer, it’s hard to believe he will do it next year.
Many schools around the country would relish the chance to get a high-upside QB coached up by Ohio State. Oddly enough, Texas did that in 2022, and it got them three big seasons from Quinn Ewers. If Sayin does not falter this season, Kienholz is a big name to look out for in the transfer portal later this year.
