Being eliminated from the College Football Playoff brings its own challenges, and not just because a program’s season is ending. One historic college football program is in danger of losing a touted quarterback.
Less than 24 hours after being eliminated by Miami, news broke that Ohio State quarterback Lincoln Kienholz plans to enter the transfer portal. Kienholz battled Julian Sayin last offseason before ultimately narrowly missing out on being named Ohio State’s starting quarterback. On3’s Pete Nakos reported on January 1, 2026, that Kienholz “planned to enter the NCAA transfer portal.”
The former highly touted prospect should have plenty of suitors in the college football transfer portal. January 2, marks the official opening of the portal, but players have been announcing their intentions to test the waters in previous weeks.
As a reminder, players like Kienholz can enter the portal and still remain with their current team. Sayin has a firm grip on Ohio State’s QB1 spot, so it would be a surprise if Kienholz is with the Buckeyes in 2026.
Here’s what you need to know about the latest college football rumors.
Ohio State QB Lincoln Kienholz on Future: ‘My Goal Is to go to the NFL… To Do That You Gotta Play’
Coming out of T.F. Riggs High School (Pierre, South Dakota), Kienholz was rated as a four-star high school prospect in the 2023 college football recruiting class by On3, 247Sports and Rivals. All three outlets had Kienholz ranked among the top-10 quarterbacks in the 2023 class.
“I’ve definitely had conversations (about future),” Kienholz told Eleven Warriors’ Dan Hope during a December 29, inteview. “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 (Billy) Fessler a little bit about it.”
College Football Transfer Portal Rumors: Ohio State QB Lincoln Kienholz Has Been Linked to Louisville & Cincinnati
Kienholz is already generating interest across college football. Two teams pushing to land Kienholz are Cincinnati and Louisville, per Nakos.
“Two early schools to keep tabs on in this recruitment are Louisville and Cincinnati, sources have said,” Nakos wrote in a January 2, story titled, “Transfer Portal Intel: Day 1 brings early QB moves, visit schedules.”
Cincinnati is likely looking to replace current starting quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who has also indicated his plans to enter the portal. The Bearcats are expected to be priced out on Sorsby, who is one of the top quarterbacks in the transfer portal. Sorsby’s projected NIL value is $2.4 million, per On3.
Lincoln Kienholz Pushed Julian Sayin in Battle To Be Named Ohio State’s Starting Quarterback
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day praised Kienholz throughout the competition with Sayin. It should not take long for Kienholz to find a new home, but the Buckeyes also have another former touted signal-caller in Tavien St. Clair waiting behind Sayin.
“He was great in the meeting that we talked about (Sayin being named the starter),” Day noted back in August, per Ohio State on SI. “He knows in his heart he’s going to play this year, and so he’s going to prepare to play in the first game, and we know it’s a long season. He’s a competitor.”
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