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Ohio State Overview
• Lincoln enters the 2026 campaign with two seasons of collegiate eligibility remaining and as a senior academically who was majoring in real estate and urban analysis at Ohio State
• Competed for Ohio State's starting quarterback duties throughout the spring and fall camps in 2025
• A terrific and talented athlete, Kienholz played in six games for the Buckeyes: two regular season games for the Buckeyes for a total of 21 snaps: vs. Michigan State and Minnesota during the 2023 season, and he relieved injured starter Devin Brown in the first half of the 2023 Goodyear Cotton Bowl against Missouri and ended up playing 42 snaps
• Did not see any game action in 2024 and played in four games in 2025 when he completed 11 of 14 passes (78.6) for 139 yards and one touchdown
• Also rushed for 66 yards in 2025 and scored two touchdowns
• Completed six of 17 passes vs. the Tigers for 86 yards
• Enters the 2025 campaign with 21 completions and 36 attempts for 250 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions
• Earned OSU Scholar-Athlete status in 2023 and 2024, and Academic all-Big Ten honors in 2024 and 2025
Honors & Awards
2024: OSU Scholar-Athlete, Academic all-Big Ten Conference
2023: OSU Scholar-Athlete
2025: Academic all-Big Ten Conference
MORE ON LINCOLN
• Lincoln was part of Ohio State's 2023 class of recruits
• He stayed in high school to play his senior seasons in basketball and baseball, and then he joined the team in June of 2023
• Was the nation’s No. 13-ranked quarterback as a senior in 2022 and No. 172 overall player according to 247Sports
• Only the second-ever player from the state of South Dakota to sign with Ohio State (Grant Schmidt in 2015; transferred without playing in a game)
• Completed 66 percent of his passes for 3,422 yards and 46 touchdowns as a senior while being named the state’s 11AA Player of the Year
• Added 1,435 yards rushing with 24 TDs in leading T.F. Riggs High School to its third consecutive state championship
• Threw for 9,100 yards and 104 touchdowns over his career at T.F. Riggs where he was a three-year starter
• Became South Dakota high school football’s all-time passing leader in 2022
• Named the Most Valuable Player of the 11AA state championship game for three consecutive years
• Threw for 274 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for 121 yards and two scores in this year’s state title game
• A three-sport athlete who also excelled in basketball and baseball
• Batted .472 with six home runs and went 3-0 with a 1.24 ERA as a pitcher
• First team selection on the Class AA all-state basketball team after averaging 19.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game as a junior.
• Is the son of Kacy and Peter Kienholz, and he has three siblings: a brother, Brogan, and sisters Lola and Miah
